Florida residents who were impacted by Hurricane Irma are trying to clean up the damage done by the storm. However, their insurance companies are offering less than what it may actually cost to repair that damage. One woman said her insurance company estimated the damage to her home to be $11,074. A public adjuster said the damage would cost $94,268 to fix. Another person said that her insurance company also offered thousands less than contractors would need to fix her home.
Homeowners battle insurance companies after Irma
Mysteriously, Clay County man's flood insurance was never paid
Jason D. lives in the Black Creek Hills in Middleburg, one of the hardest-hit areas in Clay County. Even though his home is elevated by 20 feet, it is located 30 yards from Black Creek. That wasn't enough to prevent the creek from flooding his home. His home was gutted and all his kitchen appliances needed replacement.
Claim Forward online tool shows insurance costs in Florida
Filing an insurance claim, especially after a hurricane, generally imposes financial consequences on policy holders. The online platform ClaimForward.com grants residents a free way to evaluate how their insurance company could raise premiums or apply surcharges after trying to recover damages to a home or vehicle.
Florida tallies Hurricane Irma costs and considers stormy future
State officials have yet to come to terms fully with the damage wrought by Hurricane Irma. While officials continue to calculate damages, the Office of Insurance Regulation has estimated that filings for property damage have reached $7.21 billion so far. Throughout the Caribbean and Florida, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has attributed $50 billion in damages to the last hurricane season. The citrus industry took a particularly bad hit for $2.5 billion in agricultural damage just when fruit growers were expecting their best crop in a decade.
Don't miss out on your claim: Make your claim within 90 days
After a hurricane or major weather event, there's a possibility that your home and property could be badly damaged. Some people get lucky and have less damage than others, but on the whole, even if a home doesn't look damaged, underlying damage could still be there.
