With untold numbers of properties wrecked by major hurricanes Helene and Milton in recent weeks, homeowners across the Southeast will be in close contact with insurance agents until their claims are resolved.

Experts say it's not the end of it: Climate change is only going to intensify the frequency and expense of claims going forward. And disaster losses along the coast are likely to escalate in the coming years, partly because of huge increases in development, said Loretta Worters, a spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute.

"Losses related to natural disasters have increased tenfold," Worters said.

Early estimates put Milton's damage in Florida at more than $50 billion. Helene, which made landfall in Florida before flooding eastern North Carolina, is estimated to have caused at least $11 billion in damage. Only two years ago, Hurricane Ian resulted in more than $50 billion in losses in south Florida. Compare that to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, racking up $65 billion in damage (adjusted to more than $101 billion in 2023 dollars).

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While the exact numbers from the latest storms are still shaking out, FEMA has already granted $344 million to victims of Helene, which killed more than 200 people across six states. On Friday, the death count from Milton was at least 16.

Even before the pandemic, property and casualty insurers struggled to maintain profitability, but premium rates have not kept up with rising costs, Worters said. The Institute's three-year economic........

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