Residential Landslide Insurance in Sitka, Alaska

Market Conditions and Options for Improving Availability

by Lloyd Dixon, Max Izenberg, Robert J. Lempert, Annette Patton, Joshua Roering

Download Free Electronic Document

FormatFile SizeNotes
PDF file 0.2 MB

Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience.

Landslides pose a serious risk to lives and property in Sitka and other parts of Southeast Alaska. Although landslide insurance does not directly reduce the likelihood or the physical consequences of landslides, it can increase the financial resilience of individuals and communities. Following a devastating landslide that struck Sitka, Alaska, in 2015, what little insurance coverage was available for residential properties prior to the slide disappeared. In this Perspective, the authors characterize the market for landslide insurance prior to and following the 2015 landslide and describe four approaches that stakeholders might consider to make landslide coverage more available.

Research conducted by

This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and conducted by the Community Health and Environmental Policy Program within RAND Social and Economic Well-Being.

This publication is part of the RAND Corporation Perspective series. RAND Perspectives present expert insights on timely policy issues. All RAND Perspectives undergo peer review to ensure high standards for quality and objectivity.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.