Florida Braces Itself For 17 More Weeks Of Hurricane Season
You may not realize that, even as of early February, Florida still technically has 17 weeks left of hurricane season, with more and more potential property damage looming. As a result, emergency management officials in Sarasota and surrounding areas are scrambling to put lessons learned after Irma into practice to get ahead of more damage that could be coming to the state of Florida. Two-thirds of hurricane-related deaths occur due to flooding and storm surge. Some of this organizing involves identifying which buildings can serve as emergency shelters, as well, as how evacuation centers are opened to the public and are both wheelchair-accessible and pet friendly. Applying For Funding What does this mean for all of the property damage, and the many individuals dealing with filing insurance claims, and either having those claims denied or delayed? Sarasota County is reportedly in line to receive $8 million in state mitigation funding to make structures more resilient in general. In addition, Alachua County was recently granted $200,000 to protect houses specifically from future hurricanes. The grant came from the Florida Division of Emergency Management to reinforce housing structures so that they will survive storms like Irma. The “Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program” is expected to provide enough funding to help around 35 homeowners, and carries application deadline of March 9th. The program will help with costs such as installing hurricane resistant windows and straps, as well as roof coverage. The grant will be distributed based on need, annual household income, and the number of residents in the home. Are You Still Waiting For Hurricane Irma Assistance? While Hurricane Irma is long gone, hundreds of thousands of Floridians were left in its path of destruction. According to the Consumer Federation of America, the storm resulted in around 450,000 claims for insurance payments—350,000 for wind and 150,000 for flooding. Claims for wind damage alone are estimated to exceed Hurricane Andrew’s $25 billion in payments, and FEMA-insurance payments could reach $15 billion. Below, we provide some tips on how to help ensure that your claim is successful: Report your claim as early as possible; Keep meticulous documentation of every communication you have with your insurance company; Keep all of your receipts for expenses related to repairs, as well as any related living expenses; Ask questions of your adjuster—such as whether they work for the insurance company or are independent; Note that disaster assistance is available from FEMA; Contact your home insurer – or have your attorney do so –even if you aren’t sure whether you have flood insurance; Note that damage to your car from any downed trees should be covered under your comprehensive auto insurance; and Be wary of anyone who shows up at your door claiming to work for the insurance company. Florida Hurricane Insurance Claim Attorneys Similarly to working with an attorney to file an insurance claim, your chances in applying to receive funds as part of the program can benefit from working with an attorney to ensure that your application is as complete as possible. If your home or business has suffered from any storm damage, contact our experienced hurricane insurance attorneys at HD Law Partners today to find out how we can help. Resources: heraldtribune.com/news/20180209/emergency-officials-prepare-for-hurricane-season-even-as-irma-review-continues alligator.org/news/article_14aeeb2c-0fb8-11e8-bf1b-cb62944357a3.html Tags: Florida Homeowners Insurance Attorney, Florida Homeowners Insurance Attorneys, Florida Hurricane Claim Attorney Posted in FEMA Insurance Payments, Homeowners Insurance, Hurricane Claims | No Comments » Connect with us Archives May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 January 2025 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 November 13 Categories Alimony Appellate Arbitration Auto Accidents Auto Insurance Business Corporate Business Insurance Law Child Custody Child Support Criminal Law Divorce Family Law FEMA Insurance Payments Florida’s Mandatory 2‑Hour Legal Professionalism CLE: Foreclosure Defense Fort Myers Hurricane Insurance Attorney General Guardianship HD Law Partners Service HOA/Property Management Homeowners Association Homeowners Insurance Hurricane Claims Hurricane Insurance Insurance Bad Faith Insurance Claims Insurance Defense Insurance Litigation Landlord Tenant Law Enforcement Liability Loan Modifications Mold Water Damage Parental Rights Paternity Personal Injury Premises Liability Law Prenuptial Agreements Private Security Property Distribution Property Owner Law Sarasota Insurance Litigation Attorney Slip Fall Tampa Business and Corporate Attorneys tampa family attorney Tampa Insurance Attorneys Timeshare Timesharing Uncategorized HD Law Partners is proud to be your trusted full-service law firm Quick Links Property & Casualty Business & Corporate Litigation Family Law Contact Us Careers Get In Touch 2002 North Lois Avenue Suite 510 Tampa, FL 33607 813-253-5333 Contact Us