Flood Insurance Is Becoming Unaffordable—Can Community-Based Catastrophe Insurance Help?

When floodwaters rise, they don’t just take homes—they erode the very foundation of community stability. That’s what happened across Appalachia last Valentine’s Day, when a brutal mix of rain, snowmelt, and stripped land led to deadly floods, mass evacuations, and destruction still being tallied. But the deeper crisis might be what follows: insurance gaps so wide, recovery becomes unreachable. As premiums spike and coverage vanishes, a new idea is gaining ground—community-based insurance. It won’t stop the rain, but it might help communities weather the storm together.

For a reminder on why both flood protection and flood insurance are Minot realties, this article from Non Profit Quarterly is worth a read. And if our flood protection for some reason comes up short for some, there’s a model here to consider.