What happens to the people in California, who have

[Dirk39]

lost their homes? Will the government or any obligagatory insurance pay for what they have lost? I live in Hamburg, Germany, and since a lot of houses burnt down here long ago, to have a kind of insurance is obligatory for everyone who owns a house.
Curious in Germany,
Dirk

[Dagaz]

1. If they are insured properly then no problem

I was talking to a friend in the business tonight and his company is looking at 15-20 mil which is not a problem. The problem might be for those in high risk areas who didn't have the choice of "A" rated carriers and went with a local insurance company that may not have enough capital to cover. Some of these big canyon ranches can't get the best insurance because the risk is known to be high before the place is even built.

[Dirk39]

4. Thanx for your reply... it's the same after the flood in Germany...

last year. Most of them didn't even have any kind of insurance for similar reasons then. We're just somehow privileged here in Hamburg, when it comes to fire. I don't know if what is happening in California is somehow related to Global warming or just a shit happens kind of things. But I'm really concerned about what will happen during the next years and decades. The kind of thing allready happening in Peru for example.
Greetings from Germany,
Dirk

[mitchtv]

2. if you don't owe a mortgage, it is not

obligatory. FEMA will make loans available to those with out insurance, I believe at very low interest.

[Say_What]

3. Not sure what will happen here, but when I lived in Boston we had

the Blizzard of 1978--highways shut down for 2 WEEKS, about 2,000 cars buried on Route 128, major damage on the coast because of high tides and hurricane force winds. National Guard came in and helped out. Many, many homes lost. During that disaster, the feds stepped in with very low-interest loans so that people could rebuild. But the way things are today with the Bushies, who knows.

Peace!!

[AlGore-08.com]

7. I saw Gray Davis on TV a couple hours ago

Smirk granted his request to declare SoCal a disaster area, which allows FEMA to make those loans. He also said the state was setting up one stop booths at all of the evacuation centers, trying to get the various types of aid to folks as quickly as possible.

[pasadenaboy]

5. almost everyone has property insurance.

If you don't, the govt. gives out relief under FEMA (federal emergency management agency). The FEMA reimbursement isn't as good.

[dofus]

6. The exact provisions of the individual

policies can matter a great deal. I feel quite certain that fire would be covered in all cases. However, it can be difficult to get more common dangers covered. I understand that in many parts of California earthquake coverage is difficult, very expensive, and sometimes impossible to get. I think "Acts of War" are sometimes excluded. Read your policy.