Disaster Prone Homeowners

Weather-related disasters are no longer rare shocks; they’re recurring realities.

While insurers track rising risks and losses, the human side of the equation often gets overlooked. The Society of Insurance Research engaged Stepwise to understand how homeowners in high-risk areas prepare for, endure, and recover from disasters, and how their expectations of insurers are shifting in the process.

Through ten in-depth interviews across hurricane, flood, wildfire, and tornado regions, we mapped the lived experiences of homeowners in the days following two major Gulf Coast hurricanes. We heard clear signals: resilience investments feel uncertain and costly, recovery falls largely on neighbors and volunteers, and filing a claim is seen as risky—more likely to raise premiums or trigger non-renewal than deliver meaningful relief.

Despite these fears, homeowners still look to insurers as potential experts on resilience. They see value in guidance on upgrades, vetted contractor referrals, and proactive disaster support, but avoid asking for help out of concern it will backfire. This paradox reveals both the fragility of trust and the scale of opportunity for insurers willing to step in differently.

The work surfaced a new blueprint: move beyond transactional claims to become long-term resilience partners. From visualizing ROI on resilience upgrades to streamlining recovery through trusted networks, carriers can redefine their role. The goal is not only to rebuild homes after disaster, but also to rebuild homeowner confidence before the next one hits.