Latest Hurricane Headlines

All the headlines from our Hurricane Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Fla. Cabinet’s Emergency Rule ‘Holds Insurers Feet to the Fire’ to Expedite Open Hurricane Claims

Mar 18 2005 // In response to a call by the Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet has approved an emergency rule to expedite the resolution of open claims from last year’s tropical...

Florida Bill Would Drop Collective Deductible, But Would Incur Long-Range Costs for Consumers

Mar 17 2005 // A bill that is moving through the Florida House of Representatives could leave consumers and businesses with a hefty bill if the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund is wiped out after a major hurricane. The proposed...

Main Street America Posts 14.4 Percent Return on Equity

Mar 15 2005 // The Main Street America Group of Jacksonville, Fla. has announced that its return on equity in 2004 was 14.4 percent, its second consecutive year of strong ROE performance. In 2003, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based insurance...

Computer Models Reassess Fla. Hurricane Risk Following Busy 2004 Season

Mar 14 2005 // New computer models show higher chances of hurricane strikes to Florida, and a 3.9 percent increase in predicted losses. In parts of the state, particularly Escambia County, the program boosts predicted losses as much as...

Hurricanes Lower Hiscox 2004 Profits to $148 Million

Mar 14 2005 // U.K. insurer Hiscox plc reported a drop in profits for 2004 of around 8 percent, posting a net figure of £77 million ($148.1 million), compared to £83.4 million ($160.5 million) in 2003, as losses from the Florida...

Aon Units Release Global Climate/Catastrophe Report

Mar 11 2005 // Two Aon subsidiaries, Aon Re Global and Impact Forecasting, LLC, have released a report on 2004’s natural catastrophes, describing “a year of freakish weather patterns, ending with the worst natural disaster in...

Ala. Homeowners Concerned About Possibility of Losing Hurricane Coverage

Mar 10 2005 // Rumors that several insurance companies plan to drop hurricane coverage in Mobile, Ala. has consumers abuzz and requests being made to the Alabama Legislature to do something to prevent homeowners from losing their...

Fla. Homeowner Arrested for False Hurricane Claim

Mar 9 2005 // A Cocoa Beach, Fla. homeowner is facing a felony charge for filing a false insurance claim allegedly claiming that renovation work to his home was the result of hurricane damage. Robert Milliken of 744 S. Orlando Ave. #...

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett on Insurance Economics and 2004 Results

Mar 8 2005 // By Chairman Warren Buffett’s own admission, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. did not have one of its best years in 2004. Last year, Berkshire’s book-value gain of 10.5% fell short of the S&P 500 Index’s 10.9%...

90 Days Until Hurricane Season: Fla. Legislators Hope to Solve Problems

Mar 7 2005 // With less than 90 days to go until the 2005 hurricane season begins, Florida legislators are scrambling to solve a wide-variety of hurricane-related problems: Getting insurance claims settled; solving problems with...

PIA Legislative Day Topics: Medicaid Reform, Term Limits, Ethics, Citizens

Mar 7 2005 // Medicaid reform, changing term limits and ethics will be three major issues of concern to the Florida Legislature during upcoming meetings and through 2006, Ron Villella, Professional Insurance Agents of Florida lobbyist...

Hurricane Experts Unsure About 2005

Mar 7 2005 // Support Windstorm Impact Reduction Program Hurricane expert Max May-field and Rep. Jim Davis attempted to make long-range predictions about future events that will affect the Florida insurance industry during the annual...

S&P REPORT SAYS HURRICANE LOSSES PUT PRESSURE ON INSURERS’ EQUITY:

Mar 7 2005 // The shareholders’ equity of many insurers and reinsurers is coming under greater pressure than anticipated as P/C losses from the 2004 hurricane season continue to rise with new estimates, according to a report by...

14 South Floridians Indicted in Dade County for Filing False FEMA Claims

Mar 4 2005 // Fourteen South Floridaians were indicted this week for filing false claims to obtain Federal Emergency Management Authority grants and charged with federal wire and mail fraud. Federal legislators meeting in Washington...

Vanguard Fire & Casualty to Meet with Fla. CFO Regarding Hurricane Claims

Mar 3 2005 // On Thursday morning, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher held a news conference and expressed his desire to meet “eyeball-to-eyeball” with the heads of insurance companies to discuss open...

Homeowners Insurance Costs Up by 2.5% in 2005; Smallest Increase in 6 years

Mar 1 2005 // Good news for homeowners this year came from the Insurance Information Institute, which projected that the cost of insuring homes will rise by only 2.5 percent in 2005, the smallest increase in six years. The projected...

Fla. CFO Reports Dates, Locations for Town Hall Meetings in Hurricane-Impacted Areas

Feb 28 2005 // Dates and locations for town hall meetings to assist Floridians still recovering from last year’s hurricanes have been announced by Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher. The first meeting will be...

Ala. Commission Sets March 25 Deadline to Settle Hurricane Ivan Damage Claims

Feb 24 2005 // Insurance companies with unsettled claims from Hurricane Ivan have been given until March 25 to pay policyholders, or explain to Insurance Commissioner Walter Bell why the claims have not been paid. Once claims are...

2004 Hurricane Season White Paper Says Cat Models Need to be Improved

Feb 22 2005 // The ReAdvisory group of Carvill, a leading specialty reinsurance intermediary, has released a white paper, the “2004 Hurricane Season in Review,” that examines the recent weather patterns and hurricane damage...

Citizens Lost First Round; Stalling Payments Until After Another Court Decision

Feb 21 2005 // Citizens Property Insurance Co. is in the limelight again, this time because it is refusing to pay property losses, even after losing a South Florida appeals court decision. Hurricane Irene brought both wind and water when...