Insurance 'nightmare' unfolds for Florida homeowners after back-to-back hurricanes
Bridgette Bello thought she’d taken proper precautions to protect against Florida’s notorious hurricanes. It wasn't nearly enough.
Bridgette Bello thought she’d taken proper precautions to protect against Florida’s notorious hurricanes, having purchased flood insurance as well as a separate hurricane-specific policy, in addition to her regular homeowners coverage.
Yet nearly two weeks after Helene hit — and even before Milton had arrived — what Bello, 54, describes as an insurance “nightmare” has only begun. She said she already faces delays and denials on her damage claims.
“We did everything we were supposed to do,” said Bello, who lives near the barrier-island Madeira Beach community outside of Tampa. “We did everything to protect ourselves and protect our home.”
Fresh off the one-two punch of Helene and Milton, hurricane victims in Florida — even those with insurance — face a challenging recovery. The insurance industry is categorizing the storms as two separate events, meaning anyone who did not or could not document damage from Helene could face even greater odds that their claim will be denied if they were hit by both storms.
Meanwhile, reforms enacted in Florida to encourage insurance companies to re-enter the state market have ended up leaving victims with little legal recourse to challenge claims decisions.
Rating: 5