Young Homeowners Fear Natural Disasters Most, Despite Preparation
The increasing intensity and frequency of natural disasters can leave homeowners scrambling to protect their most valuable asset: their homes. From the Midwest's tornado alley to hurricane-prone coastal regions, severe weather is a growing concern. Our Financial Goals Report reflects this trend, identifying "home upgrades to prepare for severe weather" as a top financial priority for homeowners.
In our new survey of over 2,000 U.S. homeowners, we uncovered surprising generational trends in disaster preparedness. Explore these insights to discover how homeowners of all ages are approaching natural disasters and how they can help safeguard their homes against potentially devastating damage.
Key takeaways
- Over one in five (23%) younger U.S. homeowners (ages 18-29) feel at least somewhat vulnerable to natural disasters. This aligns with findings from our Severe Weather Prep Report, which found 95% of younger respondents took at least one step to protect their homes from extreme weather events.
- 22% of homeowners 60 years or older claimed they don’t need any additional information to feel more prepared for a natural disaster compared to only 4% of 18-29-year-olds, 2% of 30-44-year-olds, and 5% of 45-60-year-olds.
- While 81% of older U.S. homeowners (ages 60+) feel confident in their homes' resilience, 40% have not considered completing tasks designed to protect their homes from damage by severe weather e.g. drainage improvements, roof reinforcements. This highlights a generational gap in preparedness: Older homeowners show less urgency, while younger homeowners are more proactive and concerned.
- Overall, the majority of homeowners are seeking proactive ways to protect their homes from property damage caused by natural disasters. This includes 62% of all responding homeowners who want more information on what’s covered by their insurance and 50% who would like a list of preventative maintenance measures to help prevent property damage.
96% of responding young homeowners prepare their homes for natural disasters
Our new survey revealed over one in five (23%) U.S. homeowners between the ages of 18-29 feel either “somewhat unconfident” or “not confident at all” that their home can withstand a natural disaster—despite taking steps to protect it.
This highlights a critical concern among younger homeowners, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, who tend to prioritize environmental issues. In fact, a Pew Research Center study shows that these generations are more engaged in addressing climate change compared to previous ones. Since climate change is known to exacerbate natural disasters, this heightened awareness and concern could explain their more proactive approach to disaster preparedness for their homes.
But these younger homeowners don’t stop at research. Our survey discovered that 96% of homeowners between the ages of 18 and 29 considered at least one step to safeguard their home from natural disasters, including:
- Installing storm shutters or impact-resistant windows (41%)
- Adding a reinforced roof or garage door (34%)
- Prepping flood barriers with resources like sandbags or flood doors (30%)
- Installing a sump pump (25%)
- Making drainage improvements (32%)
This aligns with data from our 2024 Severe Weather Prep Report, which found that 95% of young homeowners (ages 18-29) had already taken at least one step to help protect their properties from severe weather in the last year.
This active approach to prepping for disasters, along with their fears, shows a generational paradox: even though they are taking steps to prepare, younger homeowners still feel the most anxious about their home’s ability to withstand natural disasters.
Take action: Young homeowners can help boost their disaster readiness with tools like the free Hippo Home App, which offers a comprehensive maintenance plan customized to their home. They should also carefully review their homeowner insurance for disaster coverage to help protect their finances in the event of expensive repairs.
Stark majority of older homeowners haven’t considered increased protection measures
A contrasting trend emerges when we compare younger and older homeowners. Our disaster preparedness survey found that 81% of homeowners over the age of 60 feel confident in their home’s ability to withstand a natural disaster. The twist? Roughly 40% of these homeowners said they have not considered adding safety measures designed to protect their homes from severe weather.
This difference in behavior and perception highlights a generational gap in preparedness: older homeowners seem to exhibit a reduced sense of urgency, while younger homeowners are more concerned and actively seeking ways to enhance their readiness.
Our disaster preparedness survey also found that homeowners 60 years or older were more likely than other age groups to say they don’t need more resources to feel better prepared for a natural disaster.
Approximately 22% of homeowners 60 years or older said they don’t need additional information compared to only 4% of 18-29-year-olds, 2% of 30-44-year-olds, and 5% of 45-60-year-olds who felt the same way.
This aligns with the finding that older homeowners are more confident that their homes can survive natural disasters. This could be due to several factors, including years of life experience; however, recent studies have shown that older generations express less climate change awareness and concern than their younger counterparts.
These lower levels of concern could translate into higher levels of confidence about their home’s resilience against climate change, including increasingly frequent natural disasters. But that doesn’t mean this age group is complacent.
While they were the most likely to refuse additional information, 88% of older homeowners still reported that various resources would help them feel more prepared for a natural disaster, including:
- Information on what’s covered by insurance in the event of a natural disaster (49%)
- List of preventative maintenance measures I can take to help protect my home (46%)
- Guidance on emergency preparedness, planning evacuation routes, family meeting locations, etc. (30%)
- Information on flood zones and potential risks in my area (23%)
- Financial tips to help budget for emergency repairs (12%)
This indicates a willingness to learn more about what they can do to improve their disaster preparedness, suggesting that providing accessible information on how much insurance they need or what home insurance covers could make a meaningful difference in their home’s readiness.
62% of U.S. homeowners believe clarity on insurance coverage could help ease disaster anxiety—regardless of age
Our survey found that 32% of U.S. homeowners believe a natural disaster is very likely to occur within the next year, and 82% expressed high confidence in their home’s ability to withstand such events. However, a recent Realtor.com report found that nearly half (45%) of U.S. homes are at risk of sustaining damage from environmental threats. That is more than 10 percentage points higher than homeowners’ perceived risk.
This disparity highlights a potential overconfidence in home resilience or a disconnect from the actual risks among the U.S. homeowners surveyed in our report.
We also found that 62% of respondents believed insurance coverage information could be most helpful to feel more prepared for a natural disaster. This suggests a significant portion of homeowners value understanding their insurance policies but may not currently be fully informed about their coverage specifics.
This could indicate a need for improved educational efforts to bridge the divide between perceived safety and actual preparedness. By understanding both the real risks and the extent of their insurance coverage, homeowners can better align their preparedness strategies with the potential threats they face.
Half of homeowners (50%) also expressed a strong interest in receiving a list of preventative maintenance measures to help protect their homes. This eagerness for actionable guidance shows that homeowners may not feel confident about what natural disaster preparedness looks like in practice—but they are willing to learn.
Here are a few steps homeowners can take:
- Review and update home insurance to ensure the policy is up-to-date and provides adequate coverage for natural disasters. Consider purchasing additional coverage to fill insurance gaps.
- Develop a comprehensive plan that includes emergency contact information, evacuation routes, and a communication strategy for family members.
- Secure the home with reinforced windows and doors, trim trees and shrubs that could pose a risk during storms, and secure or store heavy furniture and appliances to prevent them from tipping over.
- Regularly service home safety features like sump pumps, backup power sources, and weather-resistant materials
Visit our emergency preparedness checklist, for more ways you can help protect yourself and your home from multiple types of emergencies. And if you need additional support, discover how Hippo can help you tackle homeownership head-on.
Methodology
This survey was conducted by SurveyMonkey Audience for Hippo Insurance Services on August 1, 2024. The results are based on 2,008 completed surveys. To qualify, respondents were screened to be U.S. homeowners over 18 years of age. Data is unweighted, and the margin of error is approximately +/-2% for the overall sample with a 95% confidence level.
