Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report – Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Oct 11, 2016
Matthew Claims Start Rolling Into Citizens
Of Citizens’ Claims so far, 963 came from Property Owners in Volusia, Brevard, Flagler, St. Johns and Duval Counties, the Regions hardest hit by the storm that battered Florida’s Coastline late last week. THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Jim Turner reports via the Gainesville Sun.
Travis Hutson Calls on Florida Environmental Regulators to Review Severe Beach Erosion
Senator Travis Hutson called on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to review the Atlantic Coast Erosion Problem and move toward meaningful redress. A.G. Gancarski reports for FloridaPolitics.com.
A Tale of Two Hurricanes: Governor Responds to Power Outages
Nearly 20 percent of Utility Customers in three Florida Counties remained without power on Monday, three days after Hurricane Matthew lashed the Atlantic Coast, about the same percentage that was without power in Leon County three days after Hurricane Hermine hit last month. Bruce Ritchie reports for Politico Florida.
Economic Impact of Hurricane Matthew May Be a Wash
With Florida spared a direct hit and power being restored quickly to many of those affected, Matthew never turned into the monster here that was feared — either in terms of derailing the State’s Economic Recovery or hurting its still fragile Property Insurance Industry. The Tampa Bay Times’ Jeff Harrington evaluates.
Experts: Hurricane Matthew Losses Unlikely to Shift Property Casualty Market
Hurricane Matthew’s US Death Toll in the US has risen to nearly two dozen, and CoreLogic estimates that insured losses from the storm could be at least $4 billion to $6 billion, which property/casualty experts say is well below the threshold for a market-changing event. “I think that conscientiousness” in terms of building codes in the Southeast “will show with reduced property damage and losses,” says Chris Hackett of PCI.
Where Hurricane Matthew Left its Mark in Tampa Bay
A Database from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation shows 80 Claims reported in the Seven-County Area, the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Margie Manning reports.
In Storm’s Aftermath, Protect Consumers
Ormond Beach-Based Security First, one of the largest Property Insurance Companies in the State, looked at water-damage claims it handled in 2015. While only 15 percent had assigned-benefits agreements, or AOBs, those claims cost an average of twice as much as normal water-damage claims, the Daytona Beach News Journal Editorial Board writes.
Federal Judge Extends Florida’s Voter Registration Through At Least Wednesday
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker granted the Florida Democratic Party’s request for a Court Order lifting Tuesday’s deadline, arguing that Hurricane Matthew likely kept many Floridians from registering to vote last week. John Kennedy reports for the Palm Beach Post.
New Florida Medicaid Director Named
Beth Kidder is the new face of the State’s Medicaid Program but it’s a familiar one for Justin Senior, the new Interim Secretary at the State Agency for Health Care Administration. Christine Sexton reports for Politico Florida.
When it Comes to Household Income Inequality, Florida Cities Top the Charts
Tampa is Florida’s second City in the Inequality Top 10. It Ranks No. 7 this year, up from No. 8 in 2015. Miami and Tampa also made last year’s list, but Texas had two Cities, Dallas and Houston, making that list as well. This year, Houston did not qualify. Tampa Bay Times Columnist Robert Trigaux reports.
Judge: Florida Wildlife Agency Must Keep Deer-Dog Hunters Off Private Property
A Leon County Circuit Judge has ordered the State Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to stop Deer-Dog Hunters from going on Private Property within the Borders of a State Wildlife Management Area in the Panhandle. THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Jim Turner reports via SayfieReview.com.
Homeowner Insurance Coverage Levels Fall in Hurricane-Prone Areas
If it turns out that fewer-than-expected Insurance Claims will be filed for damage, it may not just because Hurricane Matthew was a less-powerful storm than expected, it may be because far fewer Homeowners are carrying Property Insurance, the Consumer Federation of America says via MarketWatch.com.
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