Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hurricane Irma Devastates Chain of Caribbean Islands, Now Setting Sights on Florida
Sep 7 2017 // Irma barreled toward Florida after battering Puerto Rico and devastating a chain of small Caribbean islands, as the Category 5 hurricane threatens to turn into the most expensive storm in U.S. history. Irma, one of three...
Update: Insurance Industry Preparation for Hurricane Irma in Full Swing in Florida
Sep 7 2017 // Source: National Hurricane Center Insurers are taking no chances in preparing for Hurricane Irma as the powerful category 5 storm slogs its way through the Caribbean, devastating the communities left in its wake on its...
Some Insurers Stop Writing Policies on New Cars in Florida, Car Dealers Say
Sep 7 2017 // Insurers including Progressive Corp. and Allstate Corp. have stopped issuing policies on new cars in certain Florida counties, hindering vehicle sales days before Hurricane Irma is forecast to hit the state. The companies...
Why the Number of Coastal Homeowners with Flood Insurance Has Been Shrinking
Sep 7 2017 // Amanda Spartz nearly did not renew her home’s flood insurance policy after her first year in Florida. Two hurricanes came close to the Fort Lauderdale suburbs last year, but they didn’t hit and her home...
Here’s What a Category 5 Hurricane Could Do to Florida
Sep 7 2017 // Florida hasn’t suffered a category 5 storm since Hurricane Andrew hit the north Miami area on Aug. 24 1992, but the risk of such a storm has not gone away or even declined. In fact, the state’s risk of...
As Irma Looms, This Small Insurer Has an Outsized Bet on Florida
Sep 7 2017 // As Hurricane Irma edges closer to Florida, investors on Wall Street are watching a small insurer with an unusually big commitment to the state. Universal Insurance Holdings Inc., with a market capitalization dwarfed by...
Hurricane Irma Brings Fierce Winds, Surf and Rain to Caribbean Islands
Sep 6 2017 // Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, churned across northern Caribbean islands on Wednesday with a potentially catastrophic mix of fierce winds, surf and rain, en route to a possible...
Florida’s Private Flood Insurers Could Face Big Test from Hurricane Irma
Sep 6 2017 // Hurricane Irma could test a nascent private flood insurance market in Florida that some advocates say is a model for making U.S. flood coverage more affordable and commonplace in high-risk areas. Florida’s private...
Florida Police Chief Fired Over Fatal Accidental Shooting at Citizens Academy
Sep 6 2017 // A Florida police chief has been fired just more than a year after one of his officers accidentally shot and killed a woman during a citizens academy exercise. Punta Gorda City Manager Howard Kunik announced Tom...
Florida Insurers’ Shares Tumble as Irma Threatens
Sep 6 2017 // Shares of Florida home insurers, including Heritage Insurance Holdings, tumbled on Tuesday and many extended losses later in the day as Hurricane Irma appeared set to hit Florida on Saturday, causing investors to brace for...
Powerful Hurricane Irma, on Path to Slam Caribbean Then Florida, Could Surpass Katrina
Sep 5 2017 // Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm to form in the open Atlantic Ocean, made landfall in the Caribbean early Wednesday and barreled toward Puerto Rico on a path that may bring it ashore in Florida and destroy so much...
Florida in State of Emergency as Category 5 Hurricane Irma Threatens
Sep 5 2017 // Florida declared a state of emergency before a possible hurricane strike after Irma strengthened to become a Category 5 storm on its approach to the Caribbean. Irma’s maximum winds rose as high as 175 miles an hour...
Florida Apartment Fire Caused by Lightning Strike Displaces 38 People
Sep 5 2017 // A lightning strike set a Florida apartment building on fire, forcing 38 people to evacuate. Fire officials said the fire started Friday in Tampa and left 24 apartment units without electricity. Hillsborough County Fire and...
Levine Tapped as SVP of Underwriting for SUNZ Insurance in Florida
Sep 5 2017 // SUNZ Insurance Company, a large deductible workers’ compensation carrier based in Florida, has appointed Gene R. Levine to the position of senior vice president – underwriting. Levine will report directly to...
Southern U.S., Caribbean Islands Brace for Hurricane Irma
Sep 4 2017 // Hurricane Irma, barreling toward the Caribbean and the southern United States, was upgraded to a powerful Category 4 storm on Monday as islands in its path braced for a possible onslaught. Hurricane advisories were issued...
Florida Domestic Insurer Sawgrass Mutual to ‘Wind Down’ Operations
Sep 4 2017 // Just after being downgraded by ratings agency Demotech, Florida-based insurer Sawgrass Mutual Insurance Company revealed it was placed under administrative supervision by the Florida Office of Insurance...
25 Years Later: How Florida’s Insurance Industry Has Changed Since Hurricane Andrew
Sep 4 2017 // Aug. 24, 1992 was anything but a typical Monday for Robert Reynolds as he drove through debris-filled roads and devastation on the way to his family-run agency then located just north of Homestead, Fla. Hurricane Andrew...
Florida Workers’ Comp Premiums Going Down? NCCI Files for 9.6% Decrease
Aug 31 2017 // Just under a year since Florida workers’ compensation rates shot up by 14.5 percent, Florida businesses may get some relief in their workers’ comp premiums. The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI)...
Second Florida Highway Patrol Official Resigns Over Ticket Quota Uproar
Aug 31 2017 // Florida is confronting an uproar over whether the state’s highway patrol is requiring troopers to meet ticket quotas for drivers, including millions of tourists each year who crowd its interstate highways. Top state...
Tornado in Florida Causes Damage to Several Buildings
Aug 29 2017 // A tornado damaged buildings and cars and toppled trees in Florida but no one was hurt. The Bradenton Herald reports that the tornado struck Saturday night in Manatee County with winds of 70 mph (112 kph). The newspaper...
