In anticipation of severe El Niño weather, many South Californians hurriedly purchased flood insurance, but with the rainy season drawing to a close and rainfall anything but record-breaking, some consumers have questioned whether or not they made the right choice with their purchases.
Homeowners also stocked up on sandbags, cleared their drainage systems, trimmed their trees and bushes, and had their roofing fixed in a panic, only to find this year’s El Niño to be underwhelming.
Although some consumers are lamenting their rushed decisions, the government wants to reassure the public that they did the right thing.
“We certainly don’t think it is a waste of money,” said Federal Emergency Management Agency in Oakland spokesperson Mary Simms. “When you’re healthy, you don’t cancel your health insurance.”
South California’s rainy season normally runs through April. In the past, the area experienced 30 inches of rain during the winter of 1997-1998. Many residents who remembered the flooding mistakenly anticipated this year’s El Niño weather to be just as severe, and rushed to buy flood insurance policies.
According to the Press Enterprise, the region’s current rainfall totals are considerably lower than what is typically expected in an average year.
