Six months after a tornado, Upper Dublin shouldn’t look this bad | Opinion

Six months ago, a tornado struck Upper Dublin Township in Montgomery County. On Sept. 1, the tornado’s 130 mph winds inflicted significant damage to the township’s main municipal buildings, three schools, the Temple Ambler campus, and several neighborhoods — including mine, Maple Glen. Families were displaced, and many continue to live in temporary housing.

A bit after 5 p.m., my husband and children received a tornado warning alert on their cell phones and immediately took cover in the basement. (I was at work in D.C. when the tornado hit.) They barely got downstairs before they heard raging, loud winds and rain beating against the windows, then their ears popped as if they were on a flight taking off and everything calmed down. When they emerged from the basement, they saw the destruction — trees and electrical poles scattered on yards and blocking roads, debris strewn everywhere, and houses with missing or caved-in roofs.

Today, things should look better than they do. I research emergency responses worldwide and even I am shocked by what I see driving around the affected neighborhoods. Upper Dublin is one of Montgomery County’s most affluent townships, yet half a year after this storm, you see blue tarps covering rooftops and siding, warped gutters and fixtures, and missing walls and windows.

The problem is not just in Upper Dublin. The tornado was part of Hurricane Ida, which displaced hundreds of families, more than 100 of whom are still living in hotels because their homes haven’t been repaired.

» READ MORE: ‘I can’t get out’: These families lost their homes in Hurricane Ida. They’re stuck in hotels six months later.

What explains this slow recovery? Our experience and those of our friends and neighbors point to insurance companies.

Insurance companies have been excruciatingly slow to respond to claims. Our provider has underestimated damages, been disorganized and slow in their communication, and dragged out the process (we had our third visit from adjusters just last week). By contrast, three days after filing a claim with FEMA, I received a call and virtual visit from an inspector. The next day, we received our decision and a direct deposit payment. Many of my friends and neighbors are still displaced and have not even begun the process of reconstruction because of stalled insurance payouts. They tell stories of insurance companies acting in bad faith, underestimating losses, being unresponsive, and trying to wear them down so they give up.

We need insurance, as disasters will continue to occur. Climate change is making extreme weather more likely; severe hurricanes, flooding, and tornadoes will occur more frequently with devastating impacts. Worldwide, humanitarian need has steadily increased over the last decade, in part as a result of climate-related disasters.

Insurers can help provide disaster resilience — namely, help individuals, communities, and states adapt to and recover from hazards, shocks, or stresses without compromising long-term prospects and livelihoods. Most people can’t recover without it — average Americans have low levels of personal saving rates, so cannot absorb the costs of a catastrophic loss. Rapid and predictable payments following insurance claims can make a world of difference, giving affected families critical funds to meet their basic needs, cover the costs of displacement, replace lost personal items, and rebuild.

» READ MORE: A timeline of Ida’s Philly destruction

Insurance is supposed to bolster disaster resilience, not increase vulnerabilities. But we need lawmakers’ help to make sure that happens.

Natural disasters can be incredibly costly for insurance companies. In the case of a tornado, clusters of households suffer catastrophic losses simultaneously, which means insurance companies have to manage and reimburse numerous high-ticket claims. There is little incentive for insurance companies to act rapidly and strong profit-driven motives to act slowly, low-ball claims, and hope people give up trying to recoup their losses. Without significant oversight and regulation, the insurance companies will not do the right thing.

The Pennsylvania attorney general and legislature and Congress need to investigate insurance companies and create incentives for them to rapidly and predictably pay out claims — perhaps by imposing strict deadlines for settling catastrophic claims or requiring insurance companies to create a fund for rapid disbursement when disaster strikes.

With the right policies, we can mitigate the damage caused by natural hazards and ensure families have the resources they need to rebuild.

Maryam Z. Deloffre is an associate professor of international affairs and director of the Humanitarian Action Initiative at George Washington University. She researches and publishes on global humanitarian emergency response and governance.