極端天氣衝擊加州：野火與保險市場的雙重危機

南加州再度面臨強風和野火的雙重威脅，截至目前，已經摧毀了超過12,000座建築物。這場災難性的火災預計將導致超過300億美元的保險理賠，成為全球火災史上保險業面臨的最高賠付事件之一，並且災情仍在擴大，損失數字可能進一步攀升。

Southern California is once again facing the dual threat of strong winds and wildfires, which have destroyed more than 12,000 structures so far. This catastrophic fire is expected to result in more than US$30 billion in insurance claims, becoming one of the highest compensation events faced by the insurance industry in the history of global fires. The disaster is still expanding, and the loss figure is likely to rise further.

歷史性的損失規模

根據美國財產與意外保險協會（APCIA）提供的數據，此次火災可能成為史上保險業因火災而承擔的最高賠付之一。協會代表凱倫·柯林斯（Karen Collins）指出：「這場火災的規模令人震驚，目前的損失範圍仍然無法完全確定。但根據初步估算，損失金額可能突破300億美元，這將使其成為全球火災史上代價最為高昂的災難之一。」

historic scale of losses

According to data provided by the American Property and Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), this fire may become one of the highest fire claims incurred by the insurance industry in history. Karen Collins, a representative of the association, said: "The scale of this fire is shocking, and the current scope of the damage is still not fully determined. But according to preliminary estimates, the damage may exceed 30 billion U.S. dollars, which will make it one of the most expensive disasters in global fire history."

柯林斯將此次災難與其他歷史性災害進行比較，例如2005年的卡特里娜颶風。「卡特里娜颶風至今仍是全球保險業損失最大的災害事件，調整至今日的通貨膨脹後，其理賠金額約為1,000億美元。儘管如此，南加州的這場火災損失依然具有顯著的歷史意義。」

加州保險市場的挑戰與危機

Collins compared the disaster to other historic disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005. "Hurricane Katrina remains the world's costliest disaster event for the insurance industry, with claims settlements of approximately $100 billion adjusted for today's inflation. Nonetheless, the fire losses in Southern California are still of significant historical significance."

Challenges and Crisis in California’s Insurance Market

Collins noted that California’s insurance market has faced challenges for years due to a lagging regulatory system and frequent extreme weather events. "California's existing regulatory system cannot allow insurance companies to price reasonably based on actual risks, resulting in the insurance industry being unable to effectively respond to huge economic losses from disasters such as fires."

柯林斯指出，加州的保險市場多年來因監管體系滯後和極端天氣事件的頻發而面臨挑戰。「加州現有的監管體系無法讓保險公司根據實際風險進行合理定價，導致保險行業無法有效應對火災等災害的巨大經濟損失。」

儘管保險行業在面對重大災害事件時擁有足夠的資本儲備和再保險機制，但此次火災的特殊性令人擔憂。柯林斯強調，火災不僅發生在傳統的城市與鄉村交界地帶，甚至蔓延到了洛杉磯等高度城市化地區。「當火災進入完全城市化的區域，保險行業在承保範圍、理賠成本和未來保費計算方式上將面臨全新挑戰。」

建立更具韌性的社區

柯林斯呼籲各方採取更多行動來應對未來的氣候風險。「隨著氣候變化的加劇，我們需要重新審視社區的基礎建設，讓建築、基礎設施和商業設施能夠更具韌性，以承受未來可能的極端天氣事件。」

Although the insurance industry has sufficient capital reserves and reinsurance mechanisms in the face of major disaster events, the particularity of this fire is worrying. Collins emphasized that fires not only occur in the traditional interface between cities and rural areas, but have even spread to highly urbanized areas such as Los Angeles. “When fires enter fully urbanized areas, the insurance industry will face new challenges in terms of coverage, claims costs and how future premiums are calculated.”

Build more resilient communities

Collins called for more action to address future climate risks. "As climate change intensifies, we need to re-examine the infrastructure of our communities to make buildings, infrastructure and commercial facilities more resilient to withstand possible extreme weather events in the future."

她特別提到，未來的解決方案需要從兩方面入手：一是管理野地與社區相鄰地區的可燃物；二是採用更嚴格的建築標準和基礎設施改進措施。「野火是一部分地區生態系統的自然循環，但我們可以通過管理來減少火災對社區的影響。」

受災居民的應對措施

對於此次災難中的受災居民，柯林斯建議他們立即聯繫自己的保險公司啟動理賠程序。「大多數家庭保險政策包括臨時住房補助，這些補助可以幫助支付因強制撤離而產生的住宿和餐飲費用。如果房屋受損，政策還可能涵蓋額外生活費用，幫助家庭在重建期間維持基本生活。」

She specifically mentioned that future solutions need to start from two aspects: first, managing combustibles in wildlands and areas adjacent to communities; second, adopting stricter building standards and infrastructure improvements. "Wildfires are part of the natural cycle of regional ecosystems, but we can manage them to reduce their impact on communities."

Response measures for disaster-stricken residents

For residents affected by this disaster, Collins recommended that they contact their insurance company immediately to initiate the claim process. "Most home insurance policies include temporary housing benefits, which can help cover the cost of lodging and meals resulting from a forced evacuation. If a home is damaged, the policy may also cover additional living expenses to help families maintain basic living expenses while they rebuild."

她提醒居民，應保留所有相關消費憑證，如酒店賬單和餐飲收據，並儘快列出財物損失清單。對於商業業主，她建議檢查業務中斷保險是否涵蓋停電或其他因火災導致的停業損失。「越早開始理賠流程，越能加快重建速度。」

She reminded residents to keep all relevant proof of consumption, such as hotel bills and dining receipts, and to make a list of property damage as soon as possible. For commercial owners, she recommends checking whether business interruption insurance covers power outages or other outage losses due to fire. “The sooner you start the claims process, the faster you can rebuild.”

未來挑戰與行業應對策略

Future challenges and industry response strategies

展望未來，柯林斯表示，保險行業將繼續與加州政府及相關機構合作，尋求解決當前危機的短期與長期方案。「這次災難不僅提醒我們氣候變化帶來的威脅，也突顯了改進政策和加強基礎建設的重要性。保險行業將致力於為受災居民提供支持，同時推動建立更健康、可持續的保險市場。」

Looking forward, Collins said the insurance industry will continue to work with the California government and relevant agencies to find short- and long-term solutions to the current crisis. "This disaster not only reminds us of the threats posed by climate change, but also highlights the importance of improving policies and strengthening infrastructure. The insurance industry is committed to supporting affected residents while promoting a healthier and more sustainable insurance market."