Borough
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Region
Mat-Su Valley
Neighborhoods & areas
Downtown Palmer, Butte, Lazy Mountain, Fishhook, Gateway, Sutton
Housing mix
Historic Colony-era farmhouses, rural acreage homes, barns, greenhouses and outbuildings
Notable events
- Matanuska wind events
- 2018 earthquake
- January 2025 windstorm
Local claim risks
- Matanuska & Knik winds
- Snow load
- Frozen pipes
- Wildfire
- Earthquake (with endorsement)
A farming town with a windy reputation
Palmer began as the 1935 Matanuska Colony, a New Deal resettlement project that brought farm families north. Some of the original Colony farmhouses and barns still stand, alongside newer homes on acreage around the Butte, Lazy Mountain and Fishhook.
Matanuska and Knik winds
When cold air drains out of the interior through the Matanuska and Knik valleys, Palmer and the Butte take the brunt of it. These winds can blow for days in fall and winter, peeling roofing, flattening greenhouses and fences, and driving snow into attics. The January 2025 windstorm caused widespread damage across the area.
Housing and claim patterns
- Historic farmhouses and barns that are expensive to repair in kind
- Rural homes with outbuildings, greenhouses and equipment sheds
- Metal roofs and siding exposed to repeated wind events
- Homes on wells and septic with freeze exposure
Common disputes
Wind claims where only individual panels or shingles are paid on roofs that need broader repair, outbuildings valued below the cost to rebuild, and repeated-event claims where the carrier argues prior damage. Earthquake claims from 2018 also continue to come up for owners who carried that coverage.
We inspect in Palmer, Butte, Lazy Mountain, Fishhook, Sutton and throughout the Valley.
Services available in Palmer
Every Alaska Insurance Appraiser service is available to property owners in Palmer and nearby, including:
- Appraisal Panel Representation
- Homeowner Claim Appraisal
- Commercial, HOA & Condo Appraisal
- Roof, Hail & Ice Damage Appraisal
- Windstorm Damage Appraisal
- Snow Load & Ice Dam Claims
- Frozen Pipe & Water Damage Appraisal
- Fire, Smoke & Wildfire Appraisal
Questions from Palmer property owners
My roof was damaged in two wind events. How is that handled?
Each event may be a separate claim with its own deductible. Separating the damage can be difficult, and good photos after each event help.
Are greenhouses covered?
Often as other structures, sometimes with limits for certain types of construction. Check your policy.