Hurricane Milton Resources

  POLICYHOLDER RESOURCES

Insurance Villages

• CFO Jimmy Patronis and DFS Open Insurance Villages, 10/13/24, blog by Dave Newell

• The village will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday and 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the following days. To allow time for setup and closeout, we will have the venue open each day from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

• The village will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday and 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the following days. We will have the venue open each day from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. to allow time for setup and closeout. 
• There is a significant amount of parking at this site, but it is not ideal for large vehicles either, as there are large trees in the parking lot. As with Bradenton, please try and avoid bringing large RVs to the site if possible. 

• The village will be open from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, and 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. in the following days. We will have the venue each day except Tuesday, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. to allow time for setup and closeout. On Tuesday, we can arrive at 11:00 to set up.

• The village will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Wednesday and 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. in the following days. We will have the venue each day from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. to allow time for setup and closeout.
• There is one thing of note about the Plant City venue. This venue does not have tables or chairs, so please bring your own.

A suite of consumer-facing marketing materials you can share with your commercial and/or personal lines clients are available from the Department of Financial Services and the Insurance Consumer Advocate.

• Department of Financial Services Resources
• Insurance Consumer Advocate Consumer Education Resources

  • Disaster Recovery Checklist: There are some immediate, pertinent actions to take to secure your safety and begin your insurance claims process as quickly as possible after a disaster.

  • Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights: An overview of your rights and responsibilities as a homeowners insurance policyholder in the insurance claims process. Spanish  |  Creole

  • Working With A Public Adjuster: An overview of your legal rights when working with a Public Adjuster and the Public Adjuster's responsibilities. Spanish | Creole

• Now that Governor DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for Hurricane Milton, Floridians are entitled to certain cancellation rights applicable to roofing and public adjusting contracts, pursuant to sections 489.147(6), and 626.8549(7), respectively. Both statutes specify that cancellation may be effectuated by providing written notice to the address identified in the applicable contract via certified mail, return receipt requested, or other means of mailing that provides proof of transmission. 

  • For roofing contracts, the deadline for cancellation is 10 days from the date the contract is entered into or the date of commencement, whichever is shorter. 
  • For Public Adjuster contracts, the deadline for cancellation is 30 days after the date of loss, or 10 days after the date on which the contract is executed, whichever is longer.   

  FEDERAL RESOURCES

On October 4, 2024, Federal Insurance issued an extension of the grace period for the states affected by Hurricane Helene. To decrease the chance of a coverage lapse caused by Hurricane Helene, policyholders with expiring flood insurance policy will have until November 26, 2024 to renew their policy and pay their premium. To further assist policyholders in the state of Florida who were affected by Hurricane Helene and possibly Hurricane Milton, FEMA is preparing to issue guidance that would extend their timeframe to pay their premium until December 10, 2024.All other states will remain with the November 26, 2024 extension date. 

The grace period extension ensures that policyholders are not penalized for disruptions to mail service and gives them additional time as they focus on their immediate recovery from the storms.

The extension allows additional time for policyholders who may be struggling during this unprecedented time to pay their flood insurance premium. The NFIP wants to ensure that policies are not canceled for non-payment due to circumstances beyond a policyholder’s control. 

Policyholders who wish to take advantage of the grace period should contact their agent or insurance company.

FEMA 

• FEMA and SBA Disaster Assistance for Individuals and Households: Application Processes, Determinations, and Appeals, report

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

• Video: How to Secure Documents in Preparation for a Flood English | Spanish 
• Video: How to Document Damage English | Spanish
• Flyer: NFIP How To Start a Flood Insurance Claim English | Spanish

• Fact Sheet: Starting Your Recovery: FEMA’s Flood Insurance Claims Process English | Spanish
• Fact Sheet: Wind Damage Versus Floodwater Damage English | Spanish
• Flyer: Identifying Your Advocates After a Flood English | Spanish 

• Website: How to Document Damage and Start Clean-Up
• Booklet: Recovering Financially After a Flood English | Spanish
• For resources on how to save your family treasures, visit Save Your Family Treasures | FEMA.gov. 

• Social Media Messaging for Flood Disasters English | Spanish
• Social Media Messaging for Hurricanes English | Spanish
• NFIP Resource Library (additional social media content, videos, and fact sheets)

• Publication: Answers to Questions About the NFIP English | Spanish
• To learn more about flood safety or to access select resources in additional languages, please visit the Disaster Response webpage on floodsmart.gov.

For general inquiries about the NFIP, contact the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX) center at (877) 336-2627 or by email