Florida insurer calls reports of denied claims after Hurricane Debby ‘misleading’

Flooded roads after Hurricane Debby made landfall in Suwannee, Florida, US, on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. Tropical Storm Debby threatens to unleash days of heavy rain and flooding on the US East Coast after slamming into Florida as a hurricane, knocking out power to thousands. Photo: Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg

Despite multiple reports that Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance denied 77% of claims related to Hurricane Debby in August, the company told PropertyCasualty360.com that percentage was misleading.“Just 44% were denied while 29% did not exceed the hurricane deductible, were withdrawn, invalidated, or were duplicate claims,” said Citizens spokesperson Michael Peltier.“As of today, approximately 73% of 2,991 Hurricane Debby claims have been closed without payment,” he added. “Most of Debby’s damage was caused by flood, which typically is not covered by traditional insurance but handled by the National Flood Insurance Program or private companies that specialize in flood coverage. Unfortunately, the 77% denial rate figure is both outdated and misleading.”According to a Newsweek report, Citizens Property Insurance was formed as a state-backed insurer of last resort in response to Florida residents struggling to obtain policies amid a major surge in premiums among private insurers. It has since become the largest provider in Florida, with more than 1.2 million active policies as of October 2024.Meanwhile, estimates for privately insured losses from Hurricane Debby could reach nearly $1.4 billion in the U.S., with wind accounting for roughly $845 million of the overall estimate, storm surge and inland flooding comprising $130 million and $440 million of the total, respectively.Estimates include privately insured damage to residential, commercial, and industrial properties and automobiles, as well as business interruption. It does not include boats and offshore properties.Hurricane Debby made two landfalls — first on Aug. 5, as a Category 1 hurricane with 80-mph winds in Florida’s Big Bend region, and then again on Aug. 8, as a tropical storm with 50-mph winds in South Carolina.The storm brought significant rain to the eastern U.S. The highest rainfall total from the storm was 18.16 inches near Parrish, Florida, with totals upwards of 14 inches in Georgia and the Carolinas.Hurricane Debby was the third hurricane in the past ten years to make landfall in Florida’s infrequently impacted Big Bend region, joining Hermine (2016) and Idalia (2023).See also:

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