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for entrepreneurs some shows me how that. Bbc
1:03
Sounds Music Radio podcasts,
1:10
Over the next five to ten
1:13
years, they're estimating that flood premiums
1:15
will go up somewhere between five
1:17
hundred and seven hundred percent. Warnings
1:22
about the consequences of climate change
1:24
keep adding up. This is going
1:26
to be a devastating. Hurricane
1:28
a life threatening store.
1:33
The costs to lives and livelihoods
1:35
can be huge, but there's also
1:38
a growing financial price to pay.
1:40
I could often for flood cover
1:42
and that would have made my
1:44
insurance twenty four thousand dollars. Per
1:46
year which is not affordable for anybody.
1:48
The problem now the rain is only
1:50
getting more and more intense and reports
1:53
are flooding are increasing. Whatever.
1:56
You think about the threat of climate change.
1:58
People in A and. You're an industry.
2:01
Say it's the com that biggest. Risk.
2:03
it's a matter of when
2:05
not if the next big
2:07
hurricane comes. Up into
2:09
a fifty four, seventy four eyed in
2:11
on that that like. Twenty
2:14
twenty to see to the plague of
2:16
locusts had everything he could possibly invested.
2:19
In areas same animal hostile
2:21
whether annual premium. To Protect
2:23
property. Suddenly sometimes my insurance agent
2:25
can demand Tommy the best he
2:27
could do with two hundred forty
2:29
five thousand dollars and I was
2:31
like, what are you talking about
2:33
Houses Possible. As
2:37
much as. Is
2:39
leading to unsinkable out. With
2:42
now that abandoned Heinz deflect sitting so
2:44
funny, feeling like it's becoming an unsafe
2:46
place to live. The
2:49
consequences are that they will be people who
2:51
will be forced to leave their communities. And
2:54
it's something the Uk is certainly
2:56
not immune from. Will work
2:58
be homes or households in the
3:01
future. the are effectively uninsurable. Guess
3:03
thrill of he's there are. I'm
3:07
Felicity Hannah. I'm a financial journalist
3:09
sign. I just how much we
3:12
rely on nice. Boring products
3:14
like insurance for the smooth running
3:16
of our lives. but as a
3:18
client wounds. And. The weather worsens.
3:21
I've been wondering if that will still be.
3:23
So sneeze. And what
3:25
it might mean. We find
3:27
ourselves living on an increasingly
3:29
uninsurable planet, and unfortunately, nature.
3:32
Is a little bit cs these days. The
3:37
very idea of insurance. Is to
3:39
say risks the many pay in.
3:41
Said his money for the few
3:43
when they're hit by disaster. But.
3:46
In some parts of the world,
3:48
the frequency of extreme weather events
3:50
means far more claims which is
3:52
ruining the mess. Oh as they
3:54
would say, In the American State
3:56
of Louisiana and that. New
4:02
Orleans coastal city on the
4:04
banks of the Mississippi River.
4:06
Same as such as and mardi. Gras,
4:08
but also a history of
4:11
been hit by catastrophic storms.
4:13
Because. We really sit right on the
4:16
edge of one of the world's great rivers
4:18
and the Gulf of Mexico. We're surrounded by
4:20
water. We are functionally, and I'm. Jessie
4:23
Keen and is professor a Sustainable
4:26
Real Estate and Urban Planning at
4:28
the City's Tulane University. And
4:30
between extreme precipitation patterns between hurricanes
4:32
that rapidly intensify in the Gulf
4:35
of Mexico, you name it. for
4:37
a lot of different reasons. It's
4:39
a very, very risky place to
4:42
live, and it's a matter of
4:44
when not. If the next big
4:46
hurricane comes, the city will flood,
4:49
it will be inundated, and it's
4:51
very likely as I see it,
4:53
that the city will be at
4:55
some point in time. Whether.
4:58
It's this year. Next year, Ten
5:00
years of full generation away it
5:03
will be on capital. As
5:07
a frightening for Dixon. And it's
5:09
the sort of risk assessment insurers.
5:11
In Louisiana off that turned
5:13
into that prices which. Are on the
5:15
up. the increases else sees
5:17
and. A starting to hurt the pockets
5:20
of millions of people who live and
5:22
work. And on cause. I'm
5:25
from Louisiana and and oliveira live across the
5:27
canal all my life and my grandma and
5:29
yourself feel chef of the throw factor that
5:31
here and she's some home and her offered
5:34
lot of people handful to get to have
5:36
a chance of survival. of the info about.
5:38
How that's a jealous. Three
5:41
grades. And stole at west we go
5:43
seafood. Market across from the city. so.
5:46
It's a nice and our markets selling crab
5:48
and shrimp. My home is her as well
5:50
as about forty five hundred our cell. Forty
5:52
five hour an hour. I have the word
5:54
a lot such that Pheasant went on a
5:56
affected and know and be up at an
5:58
integral to that last. Really
6:02
work for more input from the side every month
6:05
so at the and that he and have enough
6:07
to pay my service and of it for long.
6:11
Looking. Hard on creating more room
6:13
to grow. Comforting to cut back
6:15
on. How many harm
6:18
families yeah my as they have how much
6:20
mass of hand and so as as the
6:22
top them are we as though of the
6:24
excess they they don't involve. It will
6:26
sound. Like a a lot
6:28
you know what I do i didn't do
6:31
a when the other far i don't bother
6:33
is mods and we try to conserve and
6:35
muscle we can and up with a home
6:37
all be thankful i fucking anything he can
6:39
do to save money but i've had a
6:41
thing money that has unknown ideal home an
6:43
hour year so he just get a little
6:45
conservative and downs have much. And
6:48
the reason for these increases. The
6:50
city was recently hit by
6:53
back to back hurricane insurers
6:55
are recruiting. My losses. But
6:57
they're also recalculating. Risks as
7:00
more frequent storms predicted to
7:02
com. Storms. Like
7:04
this. We begin
7:06
with the destruction. In Louisiana after
7:08
hurricane Item makes landfall, the
7:10
monsters. Housing
7:13
flash Flood. Twenty
7:21
twenties and twenty twenty one
7:23
we have for her a
7:26
search warrant doses a dozen
7:28
finder. Hurricanes moron and I
7:30
do was a to strongest
7:33
hurricanes in the history of
7:35
Louisiana. Jeff Albright
7:38
runs the independent insurance agent
7:40
and broke his association. Of
7:42
Louisiana. He says his industry
7:44
took a. Big financial hit
7:46
from the repeated pants. There.
7:48
Were over eight hundred thousand
7:51
claims and about twenty five
7:53
billion dollars in losses. So
7:56
the entire system was overwhelmed.
7:59
And as reason the of
8:01
those storms, the homeowners market
8:03
is about thirteen billion dollars
8:06
in the red. And. As
8:08
you may or may not know
8:10
after those for storms, there were
8:12
twelve insurance companies that actually went
8:14
in. Solve and create a massive
8:16
problem in the marketplace here. And
8:18
of course, basic economics would tell
8:21
you that when there's not enough
8:23
availability, the cost is gonna go
8:25
through the roof. Wow,
8:27
what does that mean than for
8:29
premiums for homeowners and imported a
8:32
current premiums let like. We
8:34
have people in South Louisiana
8:36
who are paying eight ten
8:38
twelve, fifteen thousand dollars a
8:41
year for their homeowners policy.
8:43
And. We're not talking about multimillion
8:46
dollar mansions, were talking about
8:48
a nice home worth for
8:50
four hundred thousand dollars. In
8:52
many cases, the homeowner's insurance
8:54
is as much or more
8:56
as their mortgage payments. And
8:59
yes, just talking. About one fight.
9:01
As insurance in the U S,
9:03
property owners need an entirely separate
9:06
policy just in case of flooded
9:08
And guess what? Those prices are
9:10
going to? The. National Flood
9:12
Insurance Program came out with what
9:15
they call risk rating to point
9:17
out, which is a new rating
9:19
system, And so flood insurance premiums
9:21
has gone up astronomically over the
9:24
next five to ten years. They're
9:26
estimating that flood premiums will go
9:28
up somewhere between five hundred and
9:30
seventy one hundred percent. V
9:36
start New financial realities are affecting
9:38
just about every one hand, including
9:40
businesses. Storming of a
9:42
hundred forty four apartments on is
9:45
above one hundred thousand square feet.
9:48
Pc. Gardner is a developer and landlord.
9:50
It used to cost him around seventy
9:53
five thousand dollars a year in so
9:55
his portfolio. Of Prophecies. Just
9:57
listen to what is quite came teeth. The
10:00
time to renew after the hurricane. Hit
10:02
I really wasn't expecting you. Honestly,
10:04
what happened was. My. Insurance
10:06
agent who had been working with for a long
10:08
time. He can demand. Tommy. The
10:11
best he could do was two hundred forty
10:13
five thousand dollars and I was like what
10:15
it is, you talk about houses possible. Pizza.
10:17
Managed to get the price down two
10:20
hundred and seventy five thousand dollars at
10:22
still a hundred grand more than what.
10:24
He was previously paying. you know I it
10:27
like okay maybe this is as high as
10:29
gonna go severed and go higher. So.
10:31
The next year came up, I was really dreading
10:33
it. And he was right to. A
10:36
year later, the quote had gonna
10:38
again by another hundred thousand dollars
10:40
to two hundred and seventy five
10:42
thousand. You know by the and
10:45
I just accepted the fact that. This.
10:47
Is what it is Because of alone
10:49
I have to care. insurance. I have
10:51
no choice in the matter at all
10:53
except it. so it's really stressful. Base
10:55
with insurance is draining. Any. Money
10:58
making from the property. And
11:00
makes a very difficult to do business.
11:03
Peter. Says he doesn't know how long he.
11:05
Can keep paying those prices as
11:07
they. Don't come down. he may have
11:09
to up sticks and nice his business
11:11
elsewhere. Anyway, Just.
11:13
Away from the coast, According
11:15
to insurance broker Jeff Albright,
11:17
some people are already leaving
11:19
were seen as something of
11:22
an exodus from deep south
11:24
Louisiana. We're. Seeing some people
11:26
just say I'm done. I
11:28
had too many hurricanes and
11:30
too much struggle financially to
11:32
me to afford property insurance.
11:34
People moving away from Louisiana
11:36
the so it has a
11:38
ripple effect through the entire
11:41
com. We're. Also, seeing a
11:43
lot of people go uninsured, they just
11:45
decided the premiums are so high I
11:47
can't afford it and so I'm just
11:49
gonna take the risk. And so one
11:51
concern we have is when we have
11:53
some more really big severe hurricanes, they're
11:55
going to be a lot of people
11:58
whose homes were destroyed in the. The
12:00
insurance to rebuild. Will.
12:02
Not come a point where
12:04
some parts of Louisiana are
12:07
just uninsurable. I'm.
12:11
In some significant ways, I think we're
12:13
there. What's.
12:16
Happening in Louisiana makes it clear
12:18
climate change is not a risk
12:20
that will simply change our lives
12:22
at some point in the future.
12:24
Insurers understand it's turning the dial
12:26
up on planes right now. Here
12:29
in the Uk, there are some
12:31
properties that are already deemed uninsurable,
12:34
including one that proudly records it's
12:36
history of flooding somewhere everyone can
12:38
see. I'm
12:40
standing outside a pub called The
12:42
Boats In and Shropshire on the
12:45
banks of the River Seven and
12:47
it's got this door which more
12:49
than any door either. The scene
12:51
has a real story to tell
12:53
painted up on it of a
12:56
different slugs levels they've had over
12:58
the years and I can sounds
13:00
the were Eleven major flood between
13:02
Nineteen Twenty Nine and the year
13:04
two thousand and since two thousand
13:06
and Thirteen, sixteen and four of
13:09
these lines Arab. Of my head it
13:11
is hard to imagine the was a coming up
13:13
the saw and being that hi. I'm
13:20
homeless. The pub is
13:22
gorgeous inside. old. Stone
13:24
Floor Real Ale, a
13:26
traditional English. Visa. Maria
13:29
Bello and latches at Fi.
13:33
Assistance from you. The
13:35
current landlord is Mario Thomas of
13:37
As Your Wages by. The door they
13:40
are ready to go. Britain's you're saying
13:42
has been fought. For
13:45
reversal. The. Pub last
13:47
flooded in October. around five feet
13:49
of river water came gurgling into
13:51
the ground floor, coming right up
13:53
over the ball. How long does
13:55
it take you to get it
13:57
dried out and and reopened? Is
14:00
the weather's good to us and it's not
14:02
raining every day. with the heat's in on
14:04
it takes to school days to get it
14:06
plays on. It takes a lot wrong with
14:09
the polls and. You
14:11
have insurance enough for do not have
14:13
any insurance. They stop that some years
14:15
ago so it's in our interest to
14:18
remove percentage and is in a concise
14:20
and why we do second one for
14:22
these doors United. They've stopped doing the
14:24
insurances some years. yeah because of the
14:27
risk so many times in it's history
14:29
that on onto the or twice if
14:31
you go on a sort of websites
14:33
soon as you put your postcode in
14:36
terms of zero results dancing some reason
14:38
after that thread sense I suppose when
14:40
it comes to flooding this topic, not
14:42
a rest of the seventy three seasons.
14:50
Mario. maybe on his own against
14:53
the elements, but perhaps curiously times
14:55
he decided. He could do qualify
14:57
for flood insurance as a million
14:59
other residents so Heinz in flood
15:01
prone areas across the Uk. but
15:03
unlike in Louisiana, people who aren't
15:05
having to break the bank to
15:08
pay for it because premiums are
15:10
much more affordable. The
15:12
question is my. View
15:16
is the summer two thousand and
15:18
seven. When. A series
15:20
of must has slots have
15:22
seized. Plays
15:25
a central things as a still a
15:27
lot of the night with hundred still
15:30
trapped by the floods across York. Save
15:32
a muslims and southwest whole
15:34
town for cut off. Three
15:36
people died fifty five thousand
15:39
homes. This
15:42
is doubly site looks more
15:44
like a Florida Everglades Homes. Some.
15:46
It's our and possessions. The ranks of
15:48
hobby have. Been a snag because
15:50
because getting service because Lancelet Klein
15:52
we can't I say this again.
15:57
After two thousand and seven and so.
16:00
Foods number of times and the
16:02
catastrophic rise in prices on the
16:04
excesses. it meant that the old
16:06
me man on the street could
16:09
not afford. Flood Insurance.
16:11
And to the insurance industry
16:13
teach become risk averse. Marry.
16:16
Don't I is a flood risk campaign
16:18
up with no Be and an honorary
16:20
doctorate for her work supposing households through
16:23
this kind of crisis. A lot of
16:25
people on the i mean a lot
16:27
of people but declined flood insurance because
16:30
it was too big a risk or
16:32
I was getting telephone calls from people
16:34
saying. My excess of go
16:36
know. That such a
16:38
nibble. Oh cool cool cool.
16:40
Though technically uninsured, now because
16:42
I got to pay the
16:45
first between for leave and
16:47
the worst case, I had
16:49
to thirty thousand pounds towards
16:51
the cost of repairing their
16:53
homes. Like
16:56
Louisiana is now parts of the cave
16:58
in the grip of an. Insurance
17:00
Crisis. Situation last
17:02
nine years until a temporary financial
17:04
six came along. I cannot tell
17:07
you that day slow to read
17:09
time online or did a little
17:11
dogs are really did adults. In
17:13
my kitchen. Flood.
17:16
Read: you probably won't have heard.
17:19
Of it. but it's the reason
17:21
only half a million Uk homes
17:23
in flood prone areas got affordable
17:25
insurance again and still can't Today
17:28
it's chief executive is Andy Board.
17:30
For. Have spoken to people that
17:33
lived through that situation where
17:35
I thought they couldn't afford
17:37
the insurance and only ave
17:39
at fear of the flooding
17:41
but the additional financial concern
17:43
for actually if they are
17:45
flooded. The web be able
17:47
to obtain insurance next time round and also
17:49
knowing that they wouldn't be up to sell
17:51
their homes because no one's going to buy
17:54
a home or high risk of flooding on
17:56
which Com com can insurance which is why
17:58
the need and the case. Agree with
18:00
a compelling. Flattery
18:04
is essentially a pulse of money
18:06
to set. Aside for one
18:08
purpose to shield homeowners. In
18:10
flood zones from the real market
18:13
costs of ensuring that properties the
18:15
way we do it is. we
18:17
clicked Alevi from all insurers in
18:20
the Uk that offer household and
18:22
insurance and use that then to
18:24
cross subsidize the premiums for a
18:27
few are the highest risk of
18:29
flooding for their able to obtain
18:32
a more affordable home insurance policy.
18:34
As a consequence. It
18:36
was set up by an act of parliament. In
18:38
Twenty Sixteen To ease the insurance
18:40
crisis, it takes financial responsibility for
18:42
flood insurance away from your household
18:45
insurance and passes it to flood.
18:47
We see pay a premium to
18:49
your insurer. If you do have
18:51
a flood claim, they will mend
18:53
your home and then the costs
18:55
associated with that. If that's a
18:57
policy that has been passed a
18:59
flat rate we will then reimburse
19:02
the ashore a week. We are
19:04
was described as a ring insurer
19:06
so we ensure the insurance or.
19:08
Ensuring. You. So. We've
19:10
ended up with an layers of insurance.
19:12
Like a sort of risk onion. The
19:15
householder protect themselves with a layer
19:17
of insurance. But then the
19:19
answer is protect themselves with reinsurance
19:22
thanks to fluttery so at the
19:24
moment we can provide cover up
19:27
to two billion pounds worth of
19:29
damage in any one year. That.
19:32
Big part of money allows premiums
19:34
to be heavily. Discounted in flood
19:36
risk areas from what people
19:38
would otherwise pay, it's good
19:40
for consumers in other ways.
19:42
I can't. Help thinking that I
19:45
masking the real costs it hides
19:47
the fact we're already living with
19:49
the financial impacts of climate change.
19:53
There are a couple of catches. To
19:55
flood retake. It doesn't protect
19:57
businesses, which is why Marietta, the
20:00
past landlord we met, can't get
20:02
insurance. And it doesn't protect homes
20:04
built after two thousand and nine,
20:06
but perhaps the biggest cats. Is
20:08
this We will cease to exist By
20:11
twenty Thirty Nine says a matter of
20:13
law where time limited solution to this
20:15
problem. So. Slavery won't
20:17
be around the as up. it's
20:19
going to exit the market. Both
20:22
protect his outer layers of the
20:24
onion against peel away it's twenty
20:26
five year lifespan we've always intended
20:29
as breathing space to find ways
20:31
of transferring. The risks away from
20:33
insurers making than smaller but
20:35
how. One. Way is by
20:38
building better flood defences. Are
20:42
we come to the A Li
20:44
in with this year? It's a
20:46
historic town and Old Georgian sounds
20:48
clearly very tourist is lots of
20:50
independent shops, retailers and it fills
20:52
the coast both sides of the
20:54
Resist seven and it's one of
20:56
many places that now built that
20:58
these slugs to senses insoles on
21:00
one side of the river and
21:02
essentially every time it looked like
21:04
the resisting the first it senses
21:06
slutty Heinz sluts these businesses the
21:08
Environment Agency reinstalls the slut those
21:10
this huge huge missile. Defenses and that
21:13
holds the water bag and that only hold
21:15
the water back on one side of the
21:17
river. And that's because the
21:19
other side of the river is
21:21
largely unprotected, and for years homes
21:24
over there have been regularly plagued
21:26
by slug. Thought
21:30
what has just started on
21:32
building permanent areas are costing
21:34
six and a half million
21:36
pounds. To protect about fifty
21:39
homes. Make Can Irene's home is one of
21:41
them. Ten. Years raping
21:43
for symphonies, Fifty faces. For
21:45
such of the great you know
21:47
Macys is furious. Make and
21:50
Irene have had to become skilled in
21:52
flood recovery. It's been a major feature
21:54
of their retirement so described to
21:56
me if you know of flood is
21:59
coming. You spend your time. What
22:01
you have to do to keep it
22:03
at bay. What we though we've been
22:05
settled Thompson although the photos we still
22:07
got full body is influence of the
22:09
for those are put them on of
22:11
god's on the edge bricks and saw
22:14
it without a stack of soap and
22:16
them them sit in. Price. For
22:20
hims I split the kids you
22:22
place here if you couldn't get
22:24
insurance more women. Be up to Sunday.
22:26
I knew I would rather. Have a.unsellable
22:28
as Bozeman the In a
22:30
Paper Current Solemn, Irene. Which.
22:33
Is has moved here. he'd known that this
22:35
is coming know for nine it was going
22:37
to be that bad but dang it as
22:39
got a lot worse. I have three years
22:41
it been a a trend is to phrase
22:43
twenty. Two years be denied. Floated dog
22:46
is before we married. Slowed to
22:48
a full moon, but not as.
22:50
Often as the As pay. For.
22:52
Your expects it now.it's Era three times
22:54
a year. Save your you dumb for
22:57
college. Die. You don't go away. You
22:59
just. Sigma. The
23:06
need areas can't come soon enough and
23:08
neck and irene that vital for my
23:10
sins and flood Read and. Without
23:12
them their home with simply become uninsurable.
23:15
The cask about slavery that for helping
23:17
he gets an insurance policy on this
23:19
house. Did you know that's going to
23:21
come to an end? In our
23:23
servers in that know whose
23:25
mother decision? By. As
23:27
I don't have a lobbyist, it's not coming to
23:30
an end until at the end of the Twenty
23:32
Sassy's and it always had an endpoint on Somoza.
23:34
Know didn't know that and it's a
23:36
shame because although most remote did sexy
23:38
go them to things are the inverse
23:41
old line the world. Of
23:43
on understand the rules new for them. Out
23:45
of the idea is that they'll be more flood defenses.
23:48
People's. Homes. Looking at the exits of
23:50
and thus far as I'm concerned the
23:52
whole of the country have been fully
23:54
protects his sword voice and soup prison
23:56
ammonia end of his eyes he says
23:58
billions and billions of pounds. Make.
24:01
It right Flood defences are
24:04
expensive to build. An. Insurance
24:06
Need more of them to get. Their
24:08
exposure to climate change down. But
24:10
Molson Melena claims. Director for L
24:12
V. one of the Uk biggest home
24:15
answer is has spotted a big problem.
24:17
With the budgets earmarked to build them.
24:19
I think the latest groves and such
24:22
as that the government has put for
24:24
such resilience is slowly being irradiated and
24:26
actually by inflation save result in the
24:28
ten fatty to a country eight million
24:30
pounds worth of funding over four year
24:32
period sounded good for five years ago
24:35
that not some us now with the
24:37
effects of for inflation empty space saver
24:39
last few years so basically we need
24:41
to turn up the downtown, the pace
24:43
in town, the funding what we do
24:45
not want a success and swearing twenty
24:48
thirty nine with back to where. We
24:50
were before this game started. Wes I
24:52
can see Miss of Tinsley at risk
24:54
of not the out to ensure their
24:56
homes or paying an unreasonably high premiums
24:58
d say. The
25:00
government says that since Twenty Twenty
25:02
One, it's invested more than one
25:05
point five billion pounds to better
25:07
protect Sixty Seven thousand. Homes and
25:09
businesses across the country. The.
25:11
Money at South is part of a
25:14
five point three billion pound packets. the
25:16
flood and coastal erosion. Schemes. That
25:18
is it viable to keep building. More
25:20
and have a bigger flood
25:22
defences. Other places that will
25:24
become too hard to protect
25:26
their uncomfortable questions that Andy
25:28
board from Slattery says i
25:30
ones we need to consider.
25:33
And will the be homes or
25:35
households in the future the are
25:37
effectively uninsurable after foundry exits Then
25:40
Yes, reality is there are and
25:42
the objective is to make the
25:45
number those a small. As
25:47
possible. But if you've got
25:49
property for whatever reason that
25:51
is at risk of flooding
25:53
and floods every year, the
25:55
cannot be an economically affordable
25:57
solution to that through. During
26:00
the will need to be some other. Intervention.
26:03
Oscillation for properties up the I like that.
26:06
If prophecies can't be protected
26:09
or insured, exactly what is
26:11
the other? Intervention or the
26:13
solution And the board was talking
26:16
about the some communities. The
26:18
answer is to retreat. Move
26:20
people homes and communities out
26:23
of harm's way and. As
26:25
one part of the world where
26:27
not some decent concern, a worry
26:29
for the future. It's already happening.
26:32
Over largest extraordinary amount of rise or
26:34
fall and a result has seen as
26:37
the as yet itself is I had
26:39
assaulted in Twenty Twenty see the City
26:41
of Movement on the East Coast of
26:44
Australia and. New on planes, Hit
26:46
a record. Breaking said
26:49
of in Three to fifty
26:51
four, seventy four adding on
26:53
Isis. The city has a long
26:55
history of flooding and have a levy. To
26:58
protect his business district home a race
27:00
high up on still to keep the
27:02
drawing. None. Of those
27:04
measures, Marina floodwaters reached
27:06
record levels fourteen nieces
27:08
high on a decade
27:10
or. So
27:14
to hear this on a warning. So we
27:16
got him. He made it. Home
27:18
were completely submerged even elevated
27:21
one for people sign a
27:23
clean up. Operation was colossal.
27:25
Nothing to be. Saved
27:28
the bookshop suitable
27:30
shop is it
27:32
destroys. It's the
27:34
most expensive natural disaster in
27:36
Australian history, and nearly two
27:38
years on the crisis is
27:40
far from over. Nicky
27:42
Hotly is an economist as an
27:44
advisor to the Australian Climate Council,
27:46
an independent organization looking at the
27:49
science of climate change. the absolute
27:51
worst case scenario in a. Threat.
27:53
At the moment is Lismore. It's got.
27:55
So bad that the insurance payments
27:57
were people are saying. It
27:59
said. Thousand Forty thousand dollars is
28:01
what they've been quoted. Israeli and Dollars.
28:04
And a lot of these households A low
28:06
income households Anyway, That's why they live. In
28:08
these risky areas because they are the most
28:10
affordable. Things.
28:13
About so bad there that in part is
28:15
that northern. Reaches region in the government
28:17
is actually introduced the buybacks game
28:19
because. They said it's so bad there. The
28:22
risk is so high. You.
28:24
Shouldn't be living there. And. We
28:26
can't do anything to mitigate the risk. They
28:28
sell a massive lazy building all shifting houses
28:30
to higher levels. so we're that a bisexual
28:33
houses from you and you need can move
28:35
somewhere else. Is
28:38
the most. Extreme option. The
28:40
point where a government steps in and
28:43
says there are parts of the community
28:45
that simply aren't viable? It's.
28:47
Not the first time he Australian government has
28:49
offered to buy back homes and might not
28:52
be the last. Will the first instance that
28:54
was actually came years. Ago due to flooding
28:56
in. the lucky that he in in pain
28:58
can stay in comedy clubs there and I
29:01
just had an acceptable based so that was
29:03
a fake tan said this is not the
29:05
fucking time this has been done that way
29:07
at any scale And yes it has absolutely
29:09
set a precedent and people are talking about
29:12
this as something that we're going to see
29:14
more of the in the coming decade. It's
29:16
the difficulties that this crazy it's other that
29:18
moving entire communities even if they're and a
29:20
few hundred paypal it's. And
29:23
that's that's a big disruption way to
29:25
they'll go bad as I get absorbed
29:27
into other communities. There are lots. Of questions
29:29
we have an answer about them. And
29:32
and live north south. There are lots
29:34
of questions mainly about who does and
29:37
he doesn't. Different government fi back and
29:39
not for some Africa. About two and
29:41
a half thousand people applied for one.
29:43
apart from everybody thought one. A
29:46
big bone of contention is a
29:48
length of time in prison for
29:50
the assesses to decide who actually
29:52
qualifies faced with the uncertainty. Of
29:54
not knowing. Some people has taking matters
29:56
into their own hands. Among
30:04
those who made the decision to leave less money
30:06
or fan and ever. They
30:09
bought their house just. Eight weeks before
30:11
the floods hit back and twenty
30:13
twenty six hundred year old house
30:15
and it never had war ago
30:17
with in a major of the
30:19
floor before. so pretty much everything
30:21
we ever owned you know was
30:23
in there. everything's out of memory
30:25
decided grass, every toy and stuff
30:27
our kids had ever and was
30:29
olds just when I alighted. Because
30:32
of the damage, they had to move
30:34
into rented accommodation that paying rent as
30:36
well as their mortgage. With the coming
30:39
unaffordable, I simply couldn't hang on to
30:41
see if they'd get a buyback. so
30:43
they had to sell their home adding
30:46
only a fraction of what they had
30:48
just paid for it. Basically when they
30:50
age and came back, sir re evaluate
30:53
just I am. yeah he said lucky.
30:55
probably gonna get about half what you
30:57
paid for a few months ago ends.
31:00
Yes, I am literally. That was. What
31:02
we got the we had see client
31:04
just accept that that was probably the
31:06
best we were gonna guess. Yeah we
31:08
we basically agreed to it because we.
31:11
We just wanted to be clear of the
31:13
mortgage. We couldn't be continuing to pay mortgage
31:15
and rent at the same time. And.
31:19
Will. Be cleaner the in an
31:22
end to citizenship. This. Were.
31:25
Talking to me is in a
31:27
psych everything so the in both
31:29
his entire Pacific ah sh City
31:32
Center parking, Macys, well Christmas and.
31:36
The family is. Getting ready to me to
31:38
Albany. it's the other side of the
31:40
state. Like. Hundreds of others
31:42
His last they're leaving behind
31:45
friends. Family schools solves their
31:47
life. It's thirteen hours drive
31:50
away from our community here.
31:53
Said the long waits on
31:55
yeah sorry we are very
31:57
sad about that like this.
32:00
The Grey Finn in a nine
32:02
leave the last couple years but
32:04
now having to choose to leave
32:06
the community that we have become
32:08
so much support often. Unfortunately where
32:10
we need to guide me out
32:12
all afford to buy any home
32:14
now is is a land where.
32:17
It's just more affordable to lives evans
32:19
we will be. I were to ensure
32:21
our home. Of.
32:25
Course, not everyone wants to move
32:27
away. Not everyone feels they can
32:30
move away. My name is Hop
32:32
Adultery and I'm a social worker
32:34
by trade and I live in
32:36
South Lismore. Like. Many others
32:39
harper lost everything and the floods.
32:41
So. Even today, nearly eighteen months on,
32:44
I'm still rebuilding like us to don't
32:46
have the stars, Some getting his style
32:48
donated to me next week. So it's
32:50
is taking a long time like this
32:52
to be able to cook properly. Although
32:55
he was hoping. For a buyback, he hasn't been
32:57
offered one. And he can't get any
33:00
insurance either. So with me I
33:02
could opt for. Flood cover and that
33:04
would have made my insurance. Twenty four
33:06
thousand dollars per year, which is not
33:08
affordable for anybody. Even if
33:10
he could sell his home. Caught the knows
33:12
that with the money he'd get for. It
33:14
he would struggle to buy anywhere else.
33:17
Say for the time being he says be stuck
33:19
with it. While. Others around him move
33:22
away. What's the
33:24
community? seal? Where. You live
33:26
in a is is it Is it. A pleasant place
33:28
to to people chat to their neighbors. Is that a
33:30
good. Community it was. A.
33:33
Was before the flood I would
33:35
say now is some. Been
33:37
divided, for example, the only house
33:39
illustrate this: getting a buyback is
33:42
an investment property or the other
33:44
houses next to. Across the ride,
33:46
my house is basically told you eligible
33:48
for nor help, So I think that
33:50
it's becoming a really difficult environment for
33:52
the community when you have one neighbor
33:55
getting a complete by out and next
33:57
oh, being told you're eligible for nothing.
34:00
I think that the program has been
34:02
run out really poorly and it's creating
34:04
dysfunctional neighborhoods. And because there's been no
34:06
for side in the bureaucracy and how
34:08
they plan is thing we've now got
34:10
abandoned homes just less sitting there and
34:12
they going to be sitting there for
34:14
years. Suicide squad is may the in
34:17
and stuff like that. So for me
34:19
it's feeling like it's becoming an unsafe
34:21
place to live. What
34:26
will happen to U? S? Your house floods
34:28
again. On on a similar scale. I'm
34:31
not, so I don't think I can mentally
34:33
and physically do it again. My view is
34:35
more places are gonna be Lismore, lose was
34:37
just kind of the canary in the coal
34:40
mine a more places are going to have
34:42
climb and induce managed retreat proposals and I
34:44
just think that it a really missed opportunity
34:46
that we could have shown the world are
34:49
you can do well and unfortunately I think
34:51
we've become a blueprint of how you don't
34:53
do things. Listening.
34:58
To the stories of abandoned homes
35:00
and communities. Being ripped apart. I
35:03
can't help wondering if the quickest fit
35:05
for Lismore might be as Australia does
35:08
the same kind of financial six we've
35:10
done in the Uk. Something like flood
35:12
read: Sealed. The community
35:15
from excessive premiums. While high
35:17
up areas of bills. It's. An
35:19
idea of it's been discussed. And dismissed says
35:21
economist Nicky hotly. After all, if
35:23
a home is too risky for
35:25
an insurer, And perhaps people
35:28
shouldn't be buying those times. says.
35:31
A big debate in Australia. At the
35:33
moment about how to solve this
35:35
problem and whether the government should
35:37
have an insurance pool as a
35:39
last resort an insect the Productivity
35:42
Commission has but of up preeminent
35:44
economic policy organizations they have said
35:46
you cannot meet to signal of
35:49
insurance It. Is they're sending you a
35:51
signal to say that? Risk. Is too high
35:53
that is you say in his place you
35:55
are facing and non acceptable this and that
35:57
doesn't it should. Step in to me.
36:00
It's a killer signal and. I think as
36:02
hard as that, messages. The many people
36:04
to year he these right we have
36:06
in places where people shouldn't be living
36:08
and now the consequences are that they
36:10
will be people who will be forced
36:12
her to leave their communities. Perhaps
36:16
the lesson in all of this
36:18
is that homes don't need to
36:20
be destroyed to be uninhabitable. Being
36:22
uninsurable com be enough. With
36:24
more people face ruined because their
36:27
homes and communities are deemed uninsurable
36:29
and therefore unlivable. Could that be
36:31
what triggers more decisive action from
36:34
governments around the world? When
36:36
people when voters with previously.
36:38
Comfortable lives are left with. no Let
36:41
him this. As
36:43
debate rages among governments around the
36:45
world as. A. Climate change and
36:47
how best to tackle it.
36:49
Insurance companies don't argue, they
36:51
just continue to clinically assess
36:53
the risk. And. On a
36:56
warming planet. The. Risk is rising
36:58
connotations of Biggest Risk and twenty
37:00
twenty two swords with plague of
37:02
locusts that everything he could possibly
37:05
imagine the sex for to continue
37:07
to make concerts affordable and accessible
37:09
through the have to manage that
37:12
respect her and know be seen
37:14
as soft target to fund the
37:16
consequences of climate science. It
37:19
doesn't matter what your politics on climate change
37:21
or of his doesn't even matter of. Insurance
37:25
Company. And
37:28
they are going to be
37:30
charging more for insurance because
37:32
it causes more frequent, more
37:34
severe hurricanes. It causes droughts
37:36
and wildfires. So we all
37:38
have to pay more for
37:40
climate change no matter what
37:42
your politics on that issue
37:44
like the. I
37:52
Santa. Susana d That's the
37:54
name. I certainly hope never to her
37:56
again. English Rose from Bbc Radio
37:58
Four. Last know. They're here. I help.
38:00
Guess I present Transylvania.
38:04
Were even. Is that your of
38:06
I think of Sierra this is
38:08
Rose. Rose is a vampire series
38:10
two pass so. Funny. has
38:13
actually totally looked like
38:15
one. For Star in the
38:17
City of Angels, Be careful.
38:20
Rules sixty. And can see she's
38:22
changed quite a bit since I last
38:24
saw her. She's already. Deeply in
38:26
love with deny the past. starting
38:28
to buy anything. Oh
38:31
no one has i don't
38:33
Listen and bbc. So. Tired.
38:44
Of ads barging into your favorite news
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podcast. Good. News ad free
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listening on Amazon. Music is included
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with your prime membership. Just.
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Had the amazon.com/ad free news broadcast
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