How To Avoid - Lower Hurricane Insurance In Hawaii (Hawaiian Paradise Park: house, schools)

[hotzcatz]

The codes have changed, but the construction methods are still pretty similar. The roof trusses are now typically 24" o.c. instead of the previous 48" o.c. The walls have 1/2" dia. anchor bolts @ 48" o.c. as well as hurricane clips and ties here and there. But overall, it is still very similar to what what done before. I'd have to go look to make sure, but if you are replacing existing, you may not even need a permit. The plumbing/electrical will most likely still need a licensed installer, but the rest of it could probably be put back together by a home owner. So, worst case scenario, you are rebuilding a house. If it is a slab construction, the foundation will most likely still be there as well as the septic/cesspool so that would save a lot on reconstruction costs.

If a hurricane did hit the Big Island, then the folks who didn't have insurance could probably work for the folks who did to get the money to rebuild their own houses. You can play the "what if" game all day long, but sometimes you just have to pick a stopping point. Assess the risks and then roll the dice.

[WaikikiBoy]

It is my understanding that there is no State law in Hawaii requiring a home owner to purchase Hurricane Insurance. However, most if not all mortgage lenders require hurricane coverage along with a homeowner insurance policy for as long as they hold the mortgage on your home.

To protect their interest in the property, the insurance makes sure the home will be rebuilt or repaired after major hurricane damage. Without it, the bank would be sitting with a big loss if they hold a mortgage and the home becomes inhabitable.

Hurricane Insurance was not required on my condo, and it is right on the water. However, I did purchase it for my own piece of mind. And, perhaps because of the type of structure, (I'm not sure) it was not expensive at all. It only costs $100 per year.

I'm wondering if the OP was getting mandatory Flood Insurance and Hurricane Insurance confused.

[Mark.ca]

Originally Posted by pbmaise

If you have been following my posts you will know I am on a quest to raise Hawaii property values and lower the cost of living. One target I am focused on is Hurricane Insurance.

It is my belief and all the evidence points to the fact that most of Hawaii isn't hurricane prone or susceptible. Further that by changing FEMA's designations we can be covered for hurricanes in our base policy.

Is that possible?

You bet...and we only need to look at our neighbor California. I'm posting information as I learn it and today I learned California has been struck by hurricanes and there has been more damage there than on the islands of Hawaii Island, Oahu, Maui, and Molokai combined.

Wind data in California shows far more dangerous winds than wind data in Hawaii.

Here is the Wikipedia page on hurricanes in California:

List of California hurricanes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Notice direct hits on California...and now that waters are getting warmer in the ocean there are greater chances of hits.

Yet people in California from end to end front to back of the State are not required to buy hurricane insurance....In fact unless someone corrects me that I am wrong no one in San Diego is requried to either.....and that city suffered a Direct Hit.

The 1858 San Diego hurricane was a very rare California hurricane. It is the only known tropical cyclone to impact California as a hurricane, although other systems impacted California as tropical storms.

Michael Chenoweth and Christopher Landsea estimated that if the storm hit today, it would cause around $500 million in damage.[3]


Isn't any one a bit mad that people in San Diego don't have to buy hurricane insurance and there is evidence of a direct hit? isn't anyone a bit upset that the entire State of Hawaii was listed as hurricane prone.


I see that all the money that the people of Hawaii paid into the hurricane fund is gone....however..every year all the money paid to insurance companies to insure an area never effected is gone.

I've been trying to get people just a tiny bit interested, however, all I get are negatives. So no one cares about the cost of living, rising costs, and decreasing home values?

Philip Maise
Pahoa Hawaii

Blog https://www.city-data.com/blogs/blog2...insurance.html

p.s. Thanks to whomever just gave me a reputation point. I'm really trying to help..true true true...I will say it again....raise my own house value and lower my own cost of living. To do that...I must raise your house value and lower your cost of living too.

That was real cute comparing Cali to HI on hurricanes. Wheater wise, you need to do your home work otherwise you risk looking stupid with your useles wiki stats. It is all about the water temps.

[whtviper1]

Although it may not turn into anything (hopefully), stories like these mean opting out of hurricane insurance isn't going to happen.

Hurricane Iselle continues on track towards Hawaii - Hawaii News - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

"Hurricane Iselle is on a track towards Hawaii and could bring heavy rain and strong winds to the state on the eve of Saturday's Primary Election.

The current forecast track puts the center of the storm about 70 miles east southeast of Hilo Thursday evening as a weakening tropical storm."

[hotzcatz]

Note: my advice is not valid for your own planning purposes. I'm no scientist so do what you think is proper and don't use my advice to determine your own response.

How concerned to be about hurricanes is pretty much determined by which island you're on, IMHO. Big Island, no worries! Hilo might get some rain, but Hilo is good with rain. Usually the hurricane track - even if it starts out as a direct hit on the Big Island, will veer off before it gets real close. Too much land mass or something and the winds would rather go around than over is my guess, but I'm not a meteorologist.

Remember several years ago that one hurricane which was supposed to hit Hawaii island directly and got really close then changed it's direction and veered off? I forget the name, Flossie or some such? Maybe it was Fabio. Some silly name where you'd not want to be affected by it since years later you'd have to say "yeah, Fabio flattened our house" I mean, how lame would that be? Anyway, on historical hurricanes how much damage was there and where was it? Iwa? Zero damage to the Island of Hawaii yet damage on Maui, Oahu and Kauai. Iwa took out the power on Oahu for about ten days in Kailua although I wasn't paying attention to how long it was out on the other parts of the island. I think someone on Oahu was killed the next day by a downed power line.

Iniki? Zero damage to the Big Island. It was a clear relatively calm day on the Big Island. I remember looking up wondering where the hurricane was since I'd prepared for it. Although I was in Puna in a forested area so the wind didn't get to the ground much there. Maui had a bit of damage, I think, Oahu had some, too, but Kauai took it in the teeth. Huge damage on Kauai and that instigated a lot of the state wide building code changes.

There were the "killer Konas" in the mid-eighties, but those damaged Oahu and not any of the other islands that I know of. I don't think they ever got an official hurricane name.

The hurricane I'd worry about is one which isn't going fast enough anymore to bounce itself off the island and turns into a windy wet storm. (Which might be what the current one is planning on.) If enough water gets dumped on the island there's going to be rocks in the road and perhaps some road washouts. Power may go out for awhile. Loose things may blow around. But I'm doubtful about houses being blown over.

I'd also worry more if we were on any of the other islands. Hurricanes just don't seem to bother Hawaii island. Ha! Maybe Pele chases them away? As good a theory as any although I doubt there'd be much scientific evidence to support it. Sounds fun, though.

USATODAY.com - Hurricanes rarely hit Hawaii The link is for a USAToday 2003 article about hurricanes not hitting Hawaii often. When they mention the historical hurricanes which have hit the islands, it' never Hawaii island which is affected.

So, personally, we aren't going to prep much other than secure loose things in the yard in anticipation of what I'm expecting could be "worst case scenario" of 40 to 60 mph winds. If things do get really crazy, we do have some plywood to put over the big windows, but that's not anything we've gone out to get, it's just some stuff we have available. We won't install them, though, until it gets really, really likely that for some completely unbelievable event the hurricane is actually gonna hit our island. We will mow the lawn today since it will probably be too wet for the next week or so. We have enough food for several months although the dogs will probably have to eat rice if things get that dire.

Well, there's some bananas to go harvest now. Don't want them flying about in the wind, they'll be much better flying about in the blender.

[whtviper1]

One would certainly hope you are right....

But if not....

One would be glad to have insurance. All it takes is 1 bad one.

[Jungjohann]

This is the first time that I have ever seen TWO hurricanes lined up back to back. It's like tag team makani nui. Of course, I've only been here for a little over 2 months.


Uuuurrrrrpppp,,, time to stock up on essentials

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Jungjohann

This is the first time that I have ever seen TWO hurricanes lined up back to back.

Dating to 1949, there is only one case where tropical cyclones with direct impact were even 10 days apart, said Kevin Roth, lead meteorologist at The Weather Channel.


That happened in 1982, when what had become Tropical Depression Daniel on July 22 was followed by Tropical Storm Gilma, which brushed the southern tip of the Big Island on Aug. 1. Incidentally, later that season, Hurricane Iwa tracked just west of Kauai in late November and caused an estimated at $234 million in damage.


Roth says a pair of tropical cyclones directly affecting Hawaii in just two to three days' time "is unprecedented in the satellite era."


Hawaii Threatened By Back-to-Back Tropical Cyclones: Iselle, Then Julio | Weather Underground

[hotzcatz]

Well, I may have to revise my opinion of the lack of possibility of a hurricane showing up here. Folks are actually beginning to scramble and they don't usually do that especially this far in advance. The parking lot of the grocery store is jammed, I didn't look but I'm sure there is very little rice, Spam or toilet paper left on the shelves. I was at a different shop in town today where someone was clearing the knick knacks off the shelves near the windows and storing them away until "after the hurricane".

I've heard that the schools on the Big Island will be closed on Thursday. At the moment, it's just unsubstantiated rumor but I got it second hand from who heard it from someone who should maybe know.

Well, I've secured the bananas from flying all over the neighborhood. Guess we will secure all the lanai chairs as well. Fill up the gas tanks on the cars and fill up a few water coolers just in case. Other than that, we're pretty set for a month or so if the barges stop due to hurricane damage or the electric goes out for a week or so.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

I've heard that the schools on the Big Island will be closed on Thursday. At the moment, it's just unsubstantiated rumor but I got it second hand from who heard it from someone who should maybe know.

It was confirmed by the Star Advertiser a while ago. No school on Thursday for Big Island and Maui kids.