Hiscox offers new app to show flood threat

Hiscox, has developed a new app – FloodPlus AR – that uses Augmented Reality (AR) to illustrate the growing flood threat to coastal towns and cities from rising sea levels.

The global insurer says the new app allows people to see how predicted sea level rises could affect Greenville, a suburb of Jersey City in the US, using a virtual topographical map.

Rising sea levels could mean that significantly more homeowners are at risk of flooding than they think. According to Hiscox’s analysis*, 8.8% of properties in Hudson County, in which Jersey City lies, could be flooded if global sea levels rose by as much as some climate experts predict to be 2.4m by the end of this century**.

More than a third (36%) of these are not in a National Flood Insurance Program-designated Special Flood Hazard Area, meaning they aren’t mandated to buy flood insurance and, as a result, may believe they are not at risk.

Dan Alpay, flood line underwriter for Hiscox London Market, says: “Rising sea levels represent a global threat, with the scientific consensus being that more communities and lives will soon be at risk from flooding. As a leading US flood insurer, it is important to highlight the issue, which this app does neatly using the innovative technology that underpins our FloodPlus product.

“It is essential that coastal communities’ climate resilience is increased. But for those discussions and preparations to begin, the scale of the threat needs to be better understood. We hope that our new app will help that discussion,” says Alpay.

Get all the latest re/insurance industry news with our daily newsletter -  sign up here.

Insurance industry needs to address ‘technical debt’

Beazley invests in Hong Kong coverholder Pegasus
Reinsurance Solutions makes Dean Jenner and Richard Evans co-leaders in UK & Ireland

Feature:  10 ways insurers are using insurtech to drive new business