By Gemma HandyBusiness reporter, St Johns, Antigua, From BBC

Homes in Barbuda were flattened by 2017’s Hurricane Irma – Getty Images

For some Barbudans, thunderstorms still trigger flashbacks of the night in September 2017 when they lost everything they owned to Hurricane Irma’s devastating winds.

Eight years on, while memories may be close to hand, home insurance for many on Barbuda and other islands in the Caribbean’s hurricane belt is more prohibitively expensive than ever.

Across the region premiums have gone through the roof in the past two years, surging by as much as 40% on some islands, according to industry figures.

Experts blame a perfect storm of increasing risk – as the region sees worsening and more rapidly intensifying cyclones – yet tiny populations of people to pay for policies, equating to poor returns for insurance companies.

For more on this story go to: BBC