PDXNAG NewsNote: FT.com / In depth / Hurricane Katrina - Louisiana set for an epic legal fight

Insurance for storms but not floods.

Louisiana set for an epic legal fight
By Christopher Swann in Baton Rouge and Andrew Ward in Atlanta
Published: September 11 2005 22:02 | Last updated: September 11 2005 22:02

Flooded home in New OrleansLouisiana is facing an epic legal battle to determine who should pay to repair damaged properties, with insurance experts predicting that tens of thousands of homeowners will discover their insurance claims will not cover the cost of rebuilding their homes.

Jim Brown, Louisiana's insurance commissioner from 1992 until 2004, estimates that only a quarter of houses in the poorest areas affected by Hurricane Katrina had flood insurance. Standard insurance policies, carried by almost all homeowners, cover damage caused by storms but not floods.
[ FT.com / In depth / Hurricane Katrina - Louisiana set for an epic legal fight ]

Just like in 9/11 can look to congress to make insurance companies happy by assuming their risk.