On September 16, 2020, Hurricane Sally caused severe damage all along the Emerald Coast and greater Pensacola regions. The effects of Sally were not quite as extensive as what the Mariner endured with Hurricane Ivan in 2004, though Sally’s impact did pack a windy punch rendering the building uninhabitable for quite some time. 
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WIND held its annual 2022 conference at the Lowes Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando at the end of January.  I have to say that I was a little hesitant attending this conference as it is a multi-day event held in a venue which is a closed environment inside of a very large resort. Based on past year’s attendance I would have expected well over 1000 insurance professionals, experts and vendors showing up to network, learn best practices and refresh their knowledge. To my surprise despite the virus threat, over 1000 people did in fact register and that didn’t include late walk ins, who decided they did not want to be behind the learning curve.  For me, besides seeing old friends and meeting new people from various disciplines, the highlight of the conference was the keynote speaker presentation.

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As Tropical Storm Elsa approaches the Tampa Bay area residents need to take this storm seriously and prepare accordingly as the path continues to evolve. This type of storm can throw off tornado activity and pockets of heavy wind gusts. As a result, thousands of homeowners may be contacting their insurance company to file an insurance claim. Resources are likely to be stretched and frustration with claims will grow as our public insurance adjusters have seen with past storms. We want everyone to stay safe and also be in a condition to recover as best they can. Below are a few popular pre-storm claim tips that we always try to share with clients. Please feel free to pass them along. Bottom line – PREPARE NOW!

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As the Champlain Tower collapse unfolds, people must understand this is a very fluid situation. Now is not the time to be pointing fingers but instead supporting the victims' families and conducting a thorough and objective investigation. That being said, as a 45-year veteran of insurance adjusting in Florida, I have seen and been involved in all types of condo claims in Florida for decades. I concur, water is the cause or should I say the most frequent cause of all insurance losses. Water damage has and still is occurring and causing failures of building components particularly in ocean side concrete structures.

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We were so glad to be able to work with Tampa Bay Times seasoned reporter Philip Morgan to help educate the public regarding insurance claims and the value of having a public adjuster professionally manage the claim. Read here: The Policyholder's Champion in Tampa Bay

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So let me see if I have this right. Of course, I have this right! Déjà vu all over again. Within House Bill 305 there is language that not only treads on but stomps on the rights of two business entities which by the way are both licensed and pay fees to two branches of the Florida state government in order to conduct legal and necessary business. Why else would they be issued a license and required to mail fees to Tallahassee if they were not legal and necessary?

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It’s been about 1 month since Winter Storm Uri unleashed a frozen fury leaving millions of Texans in the dark to survive deadly frigid temperatures and up to $130 Billion in estimated damages. The record cold triggered mass power outages crippling The Lone Star State’s largest cities from Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Austin, El Paso and down to Corpus Christi. Despite the frenzy of news media covering the Texas grid crisis, power company executive resignations, bankruptcy filings and lawsuits, little coverage has been given to property owners still suffering from water damage caused by the plumbing freezes, water pipe bursts, or the administrative delays processing property damage insurance claims. Many consumers are just now turning to their insurance agents to file new claims or express frustration about the slow claims process. The single biggest question many are asking is, will insurance cover their claims? 

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Based on all the news from various media sources and real time reporting, this Texas weather event that caused power outages frozen pipe bursts and water damage is going to be a monster. Clients we have spoken with along with claim adjusters assigned to our losses are describing unprecedented conditions with damages to homes and buildings. How policyholders report and handle these claims will make a difference in the final outcome.

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While we are assisting Condominium Associations and working with property managers trying to manage their Hurricane Sally insurance claim, this is about the time in the insurance claims settlement cycle that we start getting calls from property owners living in condos, who are looking for help following property damage to their building that impacted their unit. This often takes the form of damage to the unit owner’s property, including their personal property as well as items such as carpet, other types of floor covering, trim items such as door frames, baseboards, cabinets and the list goes on depending on the type and severity of the damage and the wording in their condominium documents. When a covered casualty event occurs, whether it is from wind, water, fire, or the dreaded “mold” word, the finger pointing starts and in many cases the unit owner is caught in the middle.

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As the catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Sally unfolds, thousands of businesses and homeowners who never considered the possibility of dealing with flood damage will be investigating the claim process. We will be sending a team of adjusters to the Pensacola area when authorities say it is safe to enter. So in order to offer assistance to our readers, I asked my talented staff of public adjusters to share some of the best tips they could think of for handling a flood claim. The following are some claim tips that hopefully will help folks should they have flood coverage or windstorm damage.

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