[REVISION HISTORY]

US wildfire and weather insurance claim trends

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-10 23:53 UTC → 2026-08-18 00:55 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Analysis of U.S. home insurance data shows claim severity peaked in 2025, with all‑peril losses up 25.9% year‑over‑year and nearly doubling since 2019. The surge was driven primarily by the January Los Angeles wildfires, which alone produced more than $61 billion in damages, making California the costliest state for insurers. A 2026 LexisNexis Risk Solutions report confirms the 2025 severity peak was the highest in seven years and pushed overall loss costs about 50% higher than in 2019. Fire and lightning remained the dominant perils, while a March tornado outbreak became the second‑costliest billion‑dollar event of the year. Winter storms Fern and Hernando added tens of thousands of ice, snow and collapse claims worth $478 million. Verisk’s Q1 2026 Property Report notes claim volume continued to fall, 8.9% lower than the previous year and 13.1% below the five‑year average, as policy language shifted toward more actual‑cash‑value‑only provisions and higher deductibles. Despite fewer filings, roof replacement costs jumped 33% and overall repair costs rose 25% in 2025. Water claims accounted for 31.1% of residential claims, while wind accounted for 20.4%. Broader market trends show homeowners insurance rates have increased by approximately 27% over the last five years, driven by natural disasters and rising construction material costs. This has led to an increase in non-renewal notices, particularly in states like California and Louisiana. ~~These shifts reinforce industry calls for proactive mitigation—through resilient infrastructure, vegetation management and stricter building codes—to curb~~ A SoFi survey from April 2026 highlights the resulting financial ~~impact~~ pressure, noting that nearly 39% of ~~increasingly severe weather events.~~ homeowners nationwide experienced premium increases exceeding 20% during a single renewal period. While hurricanes and windstorms are perceived as primary threats, more than half of surveyed homeowners did not invest in damage-mitigating modifications in the past year.

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