FLORIDA – Citizens Property Insurance denied 77% of homeowners claims from Hurricane Debby, according to new data from the Allbritton Journalism Institute.
Hurricane Debby was the first of two major hurricanes to hit Florida back-to-back within a two-week period.
Debby is estimated to be responsible for $1.4 billion in damages, including:
- $845 million from wind damage
- $130 million from storm surge
- $440 million from inland flooding
The state-backed property insurance company confirmed with News4JAX that they denied 77% of the insurance claims that they received, because those claims were for flood damage, something Citizens does not cover.
“Debby was largely a flood event for us. Citizens, like most other insurers, doesn’t cover flood. As the state’s insurer of last resort, Citizens covers policies in the most flood-prone areas of the state. A higher denial rate makes sense.”
FEMA requires a denial of coverage before offering assistance. In fact, we encouraged policyholders to file flood claims even if they knew they would be denied so they could get the ball rolling with FEMA and get the help they needed.”
Spokesman for Citizens Property Insurance
Mark Friedlander, spokesman for the Insurance Information Institute, suggested Floridians purchase private flood insurance.
“Florida property insurance policies, whether it’s a home, condo or renters’ policy, clearly define that flood coverage is excluded and you must have separate coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer,” Friedlander said.
Friedlander said while FEMA helps thousands of flood victims, he doesn’t suggest people assume the government will pay all of the damage costs.
“Don’t assume FEMA is going to cover your loss. You could apply for a grant. You may get accepted for that. You may not but I. FEMA grant is not a replacement for insurance. It will help you on the road to recovery, give you and your family some emergency funds such as temporary living and other needs that you immediately have access to. It’s not an insurance payment,” Friedlander said.
Across all Florida insurers, as of Sept. 27, 51% of all residential claims made in relation to Debby were closed without a payment, according to the report.