Insurance companies are having to assist their clients to learn and implement far reaching changes to the properties. They are offering to help people get their homes secured, making necessary modifications to shore up flood protection and strengthen building structures against storms and hurricanes. Insurers are also increasingly willing to foot the bill for some of these modifications.

The industry has finally realized that to survive, it needs to take an active role in helping the people it provides with cover by assessing risks and offering help. It is often more economical for the companies to put some damage control measures in place before the next natural disaster occurs. By doing so, insurance companies are helping their clients to protect their lives and properties while minimizing insurance risks for themselves.

More people than ever before are now living in flood prone regions and in hurricane belts. This has been in part as a result of more people choosing to live in costal areas, coupled with global warming and the rising sea levels. The increasing menace from rising sea levels means that more and more homes will be exposed to the caprices of the weather.

In 1992, hurricane Andrew, wreaked havoc in the southern costal cities of the united states causing damages in the tune of 25 billion dollars. It is perhaps, the single event that marked the dawning of a new era for insurance companies.

In the wake of hurricane Andrew, the insurance industry was said to have parted with billions of dollars. Several companies went bankrupt after splashing out huge sums in damage claims.

1989 to 1994 saw the insurance companies splash out 69 billion dollars in damage claims, about 20 billion dollars more than the previous five year interval. This 40% increase in damage claims payments was a sign of things to come.

Faced with possibility of an uncertain future and the prospects of major disasters on the back of global warming, the industry has chosen to clean up its act. Clean up is perhaps, too harsh an expression, but in order to continue to bring back huge profits, it was vital for the industry to adopt more preemptive damage control measures.

The reality is, that faced with an increased frequency and intensity of storms and other natural disasters, the only end in sight for everyone might well mean higher premiums.