The 2026 hurricane season may turn out to be a quiet one, as predicted by long-range forecasts this year. But that only means that businesses should have more time to review and rehearse their emergency plans before the next storm comes calling.
That was the message stressed Tuesday by safety leaders at some of Florida’s most critical—and most vulnerable—corporations: Florida Power & Light, Tampa General Hospital, and Tampa Electric Co.
“Test those plans. They look great on paper and may check all the boxes, but if you’re not testing them, they’re likely not going to work out,” said Erinn Skiba, senior director of public safety for Tampa General.
The study acknowledged that the $300 million My Safe Florida Home program, which prioritizes lower-income homeowners, provides state-funded matching grants of up to $10,000 for retrofits, for qualified applicants. And property insurers in Florida offer discounts of as much as 44% for some mitigation steps, such as window and door opening protection. Opening protections and stronger roof-to-wall connections, such as hurricane clips and straps, can provide the largest discounts, amounting to a mean value of about $6,000 over 25 to 30 years, the report indicated.
But the policyholders who need to save the most on homeowners insurance premiums are least likely to pay for protective retrofits, the study found. Wealthier homeowners will respond to higher insurance costs by investing more in climate-resistant building features. The premium discounts—greater for higher-value homes—outweigh the cost of hardening work.
“In contrast, lower-income households and those facing higher adaptation costs reduce their investments when premiums rise—premium increases tighten an already binding budget constraint, crowding out the upfront expenditures required for adaptation,” the authors wrote.
Rates will vary greatly inside states: Low-lying coastal areas in Louisiana, South Carolina as well as North Carolina are the most vulnerable. Hyde County in eastern North Carolina, for example, will likely see average homeowner premium increases of 709% to 5,900% (as much as $101,000) by 2035, the report predicted.
Florida, which has seen its share of soaring property insurance premiums in recent years, followed by moderate rate decreases in 2025 and 2026, may be slightly less affected than neighboring states in the years to come. Indian River and Gulf counties will likely see the sharpest increases in premiums, of about 20% by 2035, under a “medium increase” scenario.
The authors urged action to reduce the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable areas.
“States are taking actions to address the crisis, but effectiveness is mixed and the burden falls primarily on homeowners, insurers, and taxpayers rather than the sources of the underlying climate risk,” the report reads.