Declarations

Coastal Caution

“This is not a simple issue. It’s an issue that you’ve got to address with great caution.”

—Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney telling an Alabama House of Representatives committee that the keys to holding down insurance premiums on the Alabama coast are strong enforcement of building codes, proper land use and mitigating homes against future disasters. Chaney appeared at the request of Alabama Commissioner Jim Ridling.

Beach Effect

“I’m pleased that HB 1305 is working so quickly to bring competition and avoid an insurance availability crisis.”

—North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announcing, just one week after the General Assembly passed reforms to the state’s coastal insurance plan, that the insurance company for AAA Carolinas will begin offering homeowners insurance throughout the state.

Camille at 40

“Katrina was so horrible that I didn’t see the 40th anniversary of Camille coming. I didn’t think anything could make me forget about Camille.”

—Charles Sullivan, the archivist at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and the author of “Hurricanes of the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Three Centuries of Destruction,” on the anniversary of Hurricane Camille that hit 40 years ago.

DUI Trend

“Impaired driving is an issue that cuts across all segments of society and, sadly, the number of arrests of women driving under the influence is on the rise. This is clearly a very disturbing trend.”

—Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at an event kicking off a nationwide anti-drunk driving enforcement campaign, citing a new study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that shows an increasing trend among women driving under the influence of alcohol.

South Carolina Floods

“It’s a standard rate increase, but one of the things FEMA is looking at is they’re still trying to recover from all of the claims they paid out after Katrina. They’re still in debt.”

—Lisa Jones, who coordinates the flood insurance program for South Carolina, talking about the National Flood Insurance Program raising monthly premiums and doubling deductibles beginning Oct. 1. At the end of April, almost 201,000 South Carolina properties were covered with a value of almost $46 billion.