Data shows extreme weather events are causing home insurance rates to skyrocket

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- This week in D.C., some lawmakers are ringing the alarm about extreme weather causing an increase in homeowners' insurance rates.

13 Investigates looked through Texas Department of Insurance data and found insurance companies' requests to increase homeowners insurance rates have doubled over the last decade.

In a Senate Environment and Public Works committee hearing in the nation's capital, a man from Houston talked about his growing concern over the ongoing increase in his rates and higher financial risks if damaging storms come through town.

"The cost of insuring my home has been consistent over many years, but there's been significant premium increases over the last half dozen years," Houstonian Rocky Kneten said.

Kneten has been in Houston for 41 years, and lived 29 of those years in the same home.

"I must decide whether I can live in my current home with a fixed income with rising insurance costs or sell and relocate," Kneten said.

He says his premium has doubled since 2010.

"I'm going to have higher financial risks from the damaging hurricanes and severe storms that seem to be more common in recent years," Kneten said.

He feels like he's paying more and getting less.

Data from the Texas Department of Insurance shows that insurance companies' requests to increase homeowners insurance rates have more than doubled over the last decade.

That same data shows that in 2025, the highest an insurance company wanted to increase its rates was 36%.

Experts tell 13 Investigates that insurance companies will start charging customers more before even receiving approval to increase rates. If the TDI determines they're overcharging after the rate increase request is filed, they can challenge it, which experts say doesn't happen often.

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