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Continuing Coverage RTDNA Entry: The Mountain West's Homeowners Insurance Crisis

Boise State Public Radio News | By Murphy Woodhouse,
Rachel Cohen
Published January 15, 2026 at 2:03 PM MST
Dave and Sandy Nabbefeld in front of their retirement in Idaho’s Garden Valley, near the small town of Crouch. They’ve had their insurance canceled twice, and worry it could still happen again. “It’s scary because we don’t know what’s going to happen this fall,” Dave said. “And it's coming up, it's going to be here before we know it.”
Murphy Woodhouse
/
Boise State Public Radio
Dave and Sandy Nabbefeld in front of their retirement in Idaho’s Garden Valley, near the small town of Crouch. They’ve had their insurance canceled twice, and worry it could still happen again. “It’s scary because we don’t know what’s going to happen this fall,” Dave said. “And it's coming up, it's going to be here before we know it.”

RTDNA - Continuing Coverage Entry

Mountain West News Bureau

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Across the Mountain West, homeowners are seeing their insurance premiums go up and are often facing policy cancellations, trends with potentially dramatic implications. This is driven by climate change-fueled wildfires, but also underappreciated risks like hail and powerful convective storms. Harnessing data, cutting-edge scholarship and on-the-ground reporting in impacted communities, this ongoing coverage paints a detailed and troubling picture of what the region is facing. But it also gives readers a sense of some possible ways forward, and how leaders are trying to respond. The story links below are in the same order as the audio above, and the final link is to a dedicated page with interactive maps, links to most of our insurance reporting and other resources for folks interested in or impacted by the issue.

STORIES

Murphy Woodhouse
As Boise State Public Radio's Mountain West News Bureau reporter, I try to leverage my past experience as a wildland firefighter to provide listeners with informed coverage of a number of key issues in wildland fire. I’m especially interested in efforts to improve the famously challenging and dangerous working conditions on the fireline.
See stories by Murphy Woodhouse
Rachel Cohen
I cover environmental issues, outdoor recreation and local news for Boise State Public Radio. Beyond reporting, I contribute to the station’s digital strategy efforts and enjoy thinking about how our work can best reach and serve our audience. The best part of my job is that I get to learn something new almost every day.
See stories by Rachel Cohen

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