Rising waters bring many black swans

File photo from Dec 22, 2021, of the floods in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, one of the hardest hit areas in Selangor which also saw tens of fatalities. We can expect more such extreme weather events as the climate crisis worsens and the planet heats up. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

I’ve just visited an aunt whose house was very slightly flooded during the December 2021 floods in Malaysia. It was serious enough to warrant a cleanup, but by and large the valuables were all safe (including television sets). But a conversation with my aunt later brought up a topic: Was the house insured?

Specifically, did she have flood insurance? Sure, after what happened in December, the premiums for such insurance will go through the roof. But if you already have it, then at least you can claim it. Basically, I’ve always seen insurance as a bet where you collect if something goes wrong.