Voluntary uptake of flood insurance in post-fire landscapes: insights from household surveys after two wildfires in northern Arizona

Abstract

Wildfires can rapidly generate post-fire flood risk for downslope communities, complicating recovery and necessitating accelerated cross-boundary responses on both public and private lands. Flood insurance is one of a suite of efforts to minimize the social and financial impacts associated with post-fire flood events, but little is known about who purchases coverage after wildfires or their experiences with insurance claims. We provide an opportunistic contribution to this research gap by comparing data gathered via three mixed-mode household surveys conducted in areas with modeled flood risk after two wildfires in the greater Flagstaff, Arizona area. Two surveys were administered—one in 2011 and one in 2020—after the 2010 Schultz Fire, which resulted in significant flooding, providing a longitudinal insight into insurance experiences. A third survey was administered in 2022 following flooding adjacent to the 2019 Museum Fire. Together, these surveys resulted in a total of 1,351 usable responses. We find that several groups are significantly less likely to purchase flood insurance, including residents who moved to their property after the studied fire event and renters. The reported cost of flood insurance among households affected by the Schultz Fire doubled over a 10-year period; those who no longer maintained coverage typically reported that they stopped renewing between 2–5 years after the fire. Second homeowners were more likely to report damages that were not covered by insurance. We provide recommendations for engaging residents in uptake, renewal, and use of flood insurance and conclude that there is an urgent need to better understand decision-making surrounding post-fire flood insurance to support more equitable recovery.