Even if disaster doesn't come, be insured for it
In 2006 and 2007, the news media trumpeted experts' predictions of major hurricane activity for U.S. coasts; on both occasions the experts were wrong.
You helpfully point out that apathetic homeowners are incrementally dropping flood insurance coverage. This could be a mistake; for some it could be a crucial mistake.
This country needs education both in predictability and insurance. Basically, it matters less how often your predictions are right than what the costs are for being wrong.
As to insurance, we need to guard against catastrophe first, annoyance second. Toward that end, we as a society should probably purchase home insurance that protects against major loss from almost any source, life insurance to the degree we have dependents, health insurance insuring against major medical bills (not necessarily providing $15 co-pays), and possibly no dental insurance at all.
The storm forecasters remind me of the people who said real estate would go up forever, rain will never again fall in Greensboro (Brownsboro?), and, ironically, global warming will swamp Florida with knee-high water over the next few decades.
Jack Glenn
Greensboro