Latest Hurricane Headlines
All the headlines from our Hurricane Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Fla. Homeowners Have Money, But Contractors, Roofers Unavailable to Make Repairs
Apr 19 2005 // April 18 was the deadline for insurers to finish processing and paying off 1.69 million hurricane damage claims across Florida, but they still have nine days to go before they have to tell the state how many claims remain...
The Legislature Devours the Pie
Apr 18 2005 // Everyone seems to want a piece of the insurance industry pie! As this issue went to press, Senate Bill 1488, which would create a single Florida-wide territory map and eliminate individual rate territories based on...
Florida’s CFO, Jupiter, Fla. Homeowners Discuss Unpaid Hurricane Claims; Final Meeting Slated April 9
Apr 8 2005 // Thursday night, six months after Hurricane Jeanne hit the east coast, Tom Gallagher, Florida’s CFO, met for the sixth in a series of seven town hall meetings to discuss unpaid claims with 250 homeowners in Jupiter,...
Fla. Legislation Would Require Insurance Companies to Disclose ‘Hurricane-Preparedness’ Discounts
Apr 8 2005 // Legislation now working its way through the Florida House and Senate would require insurance companies to disclose discounts they offer for policyholders who make their homes more resistant to hurricane winds. At present,...
Expert Predicts 13 Named Storms, Seven Hurricanes
Apr 5 2005 // An active storm season with 13 named storms this year has been predicted by Colorado State University researcher William Gray. The hurricane expert, who has been making such forecasts for 22 years, said he expects seven...
Single Territory Map Plan Struck From Fla. House Bill, Remains in Senate Version
Apr 4 2005 // A proposal which would create a single Florida-wide territory map and eliminate individual rate territories based on predicted hurricane risks and expected loss models was removed from House hurricane legislation last...
Hurricane Victims Need Help!
Apr 4 2005 // When I attended the Florida Department of Financial Services town hall meeting in Orlando I got a glimpse of what many insurance agents must have encountered after last year’s hurricanes–how the heck did you...
Pleas for Help Made at Orlando Town Hall Meetings; Gallagher to Suggest ‘Standard’ Policies
Apr 4 2005 // Tom Gallagher, Florida’s CEO and House Insurance Committee Chair Rep. Dennis A. Ross, R-Lakeland, listened intently to hurricane-related complaints–from families with nowhere to live, to homeowners with $500...
South Central Homeowners Market Update
Apr 4 2005 // Judging from the homeowners insurance rate changes reported by the Arkansas Insurance Department for 2004, the highest increases were effective before August. The largest hike, 28.3 percent, was filed by Federal Insurance...
Homeowners Want ‘Uncovered Perils’ Clarified; Fla. Legislators Won’t Budge
Apr 1 2005 // Homeowners with outstanding claims for hurricane damage and their attorneys, insurance company lobbyists and Florida’s House Insurance Committee members all disagree about if an insurance company is liable if a...
Q4 Rescues Hannover Re 2004 Profits from Hurricanes
Mar 30 2005 // Germany’s Hannover Re Group reported 309.1 million euros ($400 million) net after tax income for 2004, down 12.9 percent from 2003’s 354.8 million euros ($459.8 million). The company’s earnings report,...
Fla. Senate Committee Postpones Insurance Bill Until Next Week; Industry Hopes for ‘More Balanced’ Approach
Mar 30 2005 // Insurance industry representatives hope the announcement of the postponement until next week of an insurance bill now before the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee signals that a “more balanced” bill will...
Fitch Says P/C Views Record U.S. Catastrophe Losses in 2004, However Profitability Moves Up
Mar 30 2005 // The U.S. property and casualty industry posted stronger underwriting results and profitability in 2004 relative to 2003, despite sharp increases in catastrophe losses for many market participants related to the...
Carvill Report Indicates “Bermuda High” is Crucial Hurricane Factor
Mar 29 2005 // The ReAdvisory group of Carvill, a leading specialty reinsurance intermediary, has released a white paper, which concludes that the location of the “Bermuda High” pressure system is crucial in determining...
Fla. Legislators Hammering Out Property Insurance Regulations, Changes
Mar 25 2005 // Major changes in Florida’s property insurance system are being mulled over by Florida lawmakers after the House and Senate have both been wrestling with the topic and have now hammered out changes to tighten up the...
IBM Computers Weathered Ivan’s Onslaught
Mar 22 2005 // IBM has issued a bulletin noting the reliability of its iSeries system, which withstood Hurricane Ivan’s fury when it struck the Cayman Islands. The report details the experience of British Caymanian Insurance, part...
PCI: Fla. Hurricane Cat Fund Changes are Key to Property Market Stability
Mar 22 2005 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) is urging the Florida Legislature to establish an annual hurricane deductible for insurers and lower the threshold of losses that an insurer must sustain before...
Florida, Alabama Get Tough on Unpaid Claims
Mar 21 2005 // Thousands of irate homeowners mobbed state insurance officials in Florida and Alabama to complain about a wait of more than six months for their claims to be settled from the 2004 hurricanes. Tom Gall-agher, Florida Chief...
Commissioner Bell to Chair Ala. ‘Insurance Hurricane Issues Task Force’
Mar 21 2005 // Alabama Insurance Commissioner Walter A. Bell has been named to chair a 20-member “Insurance Hurricane Issues Task Force” formed by Gov. Bob Riley to study hurricane insurance issues in coastal Alabama. Members...
Victims Ask for Help at Town Hall Meetings; Gallagher to Propose ‘Standard’ Policies
Mar 21 2005 // Tom Gallagher, Florida’s CEO and House Insurance Committee Chair Rep. Dennis A. Ross, R-Lakeland, listened intently to an array of hurricane-related complaints – from families with nowhere to live to homeowners...
