Peak hurricane season approaches; insurance tips to prepare before potential storm

Reporter: Chris Cifatte Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Damage from Hurricane Ian. CREDIT: WINK News

The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is rapidly approaching, and as Southwest Florida continues to recover from the impact of Ian, here are some of the lessons learned to better prepare for this upcoming season.

Southwest Floridians have had concerns regarding the allocation of money post-Ian and how it is being used to aid our area.

A very common issue many Floridians currently face is insurance company payouts. Insurance companies have struggled to pay out customers’ claims.

With insurance companies leaving the state, a rising concern persists: Will people be able to receive coverage? 

“There were a lot of talking points that insurance companies were struggling because of high litigation, high reinsurance, so their own insurance for their own and insurance companies,” said WINK News Consumer Reporter Andryanna Sheppard. “Maybe we wouldn’t have litigation issues on the insurance side, if maybe we just paid out the claim, according to their policy. Then they wouldn’t have to hire that lawyer, and you wouldn’t have to necessarily pay for their lawyer fees.”

If Ian didn’t hit you hard, ask your insurance agent if your company did well in paying other claims related to the hurricane. Be vigilant about what your policy covers and doesn’t and make sure you have coverage on all your policies, including flood.

The United Way, which oversees the Southwest Florida Emergency Relief Fund, is completing its 2022 audit. The results of the audit are to be expected within the coming months, so we can get a much more specific idea of which nonprofit organizations, and first responder groups are receiving a portion of the money.

So, with hurricane season building to its peak, WINK is here to help with that. Should anything threaten us, we’ll be with you every minute.

The WINK Hurricane Guide is available at every Publix store in the Southwest Florida area and on our website.

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