WEATHERING THE
by Sylvia Wood
MANY FACTORS DRIVING UP PROPERTY INSURANCE COSTS
F
irst, high winds blew off a cafeteria roof at Hearne ISD. A hailstorm later caused significant damage, followed by a flood in the high school caused by Winter Storm Uri in 2021, and then another costly hailstorm a year later. “We get real nervous around here when the sky gets dark,” said Jay Davis, Hearne ISD executive director of operations. The district, located about 20 miles north of Bryan-College Station, isn’t alone in worrying about what the weather can do to property. Recent weather events have caused billions of dollars in covered property losses across Texas to businesses, homes, and schools.
Photos courtesy of Hearne ISD
“I have become best friends with our claims adjuster over the last three years,” said Davis, whose district has property coverage through its membership in TASB Risk Management Fund.
The hallways of Hearne High School flooded after the sprinkler system froze during Winter Storm Uri. 16
| November 2023 | issuu.com/tasb-org
As the largest risk pool in Texas serving school districts for nearly 50 years, the Fund has been on the front lines trying to help its members weather storms while dealing with one of the most challenging and expensive property coverage and insurance markets in recent history. “The market for property coverage in Texas is particularly difficult because of the size of the state and the diversity of severe weather events