Louisiana homeowners still trapped in insurance crisis as hurricane season begins

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Living with the threat of hurricanes can also mean living with high home insurance costs in Louisiana.

As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said homeowners are still struggling to find affordable coverage, especially in coastal areas.

“Is there still a property insurance crisis in Louisiana?” Sabrina Wilson asked.

“Yes, we’re still in what I would call a property crisis,” Temple said. “I still hear it from people every day that it’s still unaffordable. But we are making progress.”

The 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons brought powerful storms to Louisiana, including Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Ida. Some insurance companies later failed financially or stopped writing wind and hail coverage, while premiums soared for homeowners.

Temple said Louisiana is beginning to see benefits from insurance reform efforts.

“In 2025, for the first time in five years, we started seeing companies take rate decreases,” Temple said.

Temple said homeowners should not assume their current policy is the best option.

“You’ve got to shop your insurance,” Temple said. “You’ve got to work to find those savings.”

Coverage remains harder to find in coastal parishes than in central and northern Louisiana, Temple said, but he said the market is improving.

“We now have over 14, I think 15 new companies have filed to do business in the homeowners market in Louisiana in the last two and a half years,” Temple said. “And they are writing in South Louisiana.”

Still, Temple said insurers are being selective about the homes they cover.

“The new companies, I think that they are picky,” Temple said. “I would not feel comfortable if the company just wanted to come in and write 10,000, 50,000, 100,000 policies in year one. That’s a lot of exposure for a company to take on that fast.”

Temple said homeowners can take steps to reduce risk and possibly lower costs, including removing trees that could fall on homes during a storm.

“I know it’s expensive, but that’s where I think it’s one of those things where you talk with your agent, talk with your insurance company, find out if there’s a credit you can get for that,” Temple said.

Temple said wind mitigation surveys are also helping some homeowners save money.

“It’s not a one-time,” Temple said. “You save that every year going forward.”

Temple said insurers also want to see more fortified roofs and resilient homes in hurricane-prone states.

“We need more resilient homes,” Temple said. “That’s what the industry says. Not just Louisiana, that’s coastal states.”

Louisiana provides grants for stronger roofs through its fortified roof program.

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