Hurricane Ian: A Storm of Challenges

March 8, 2023

Tampa Partner Thomas Keller recently wrote an article alongside co-authors Jonathon Held (J.S. Held), Mike Rimoldi (J.S. Held), Megan Walker (Blue Skies Meteorology), Cynthia DiVicenti (National Flood Services), and Andy Rock (Rock Law). The article was featured in the March/April 2023 issue of the Claims Magazine. You can read an excerpt from the article below:

On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall on the west coast of Florida near Fort Myers Beach as a Category 4 storm. Ian was estimated to be almost 500 miles wide, with an eye 40 miles across and sustained winds of 150 mph at landfall. In Florida alone, over 708,255 first-party property claims have been reported with reserves reaching almost $14 billion. In addition to delivering strong winds, this storm also slammed Florida with a catastrophic storm surge

While hurricane losses are often complex, this event was especially complex for three reasons:

• The event happened in Florida prior to the new statutory reform property insurance changes.
• Hurricane Ian was a wind and flood/surge event, and fewer than one in five homes in the affected areas had flood insurance.
• The general public lack knowledge of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and Building Code, FEMA 50% Rule application.

Click here to visit the website for the full article. Note: You will need a PropertyCasualty360 subscription to read the full article.