Amendment of Hurricane Helene Emergency Order & Hurricane Milton Emergency Order
Oct 16, 2024
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Governor Ron DeSantis provided updates for Florida policyholders following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The update includes the amendment of an existing order, and issuance of an additional emergency order by the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) to protect policyholders impacted by the storms.
“OIR remains committed to protecting consumers in the aftermath of the recent hurricanes and fully expects insurers to keep the lines of communication open with policyholders throughout the recovery effort,” said Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky. “As we make progress in the recovery, OIR will work diligently to both support policyholders in impacted areas and continue our efforts to monitor the claims handling practices of our insurers.”
Policyholder Protections for Hurricane Helene
OIR amended EO 400385-24 to protect policyholders impacted by Hurricane Helene. The order applies to all insurers in the state and policyholders in Alachua, Charlotte, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Franklin, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor, and Wakulla. The order:
- Extends grace periods for any policy, provision, notice, correspondence, or law that imposes a time limit upon an insured to perform any act until December 10, 2024.
- Prohibits the cancellation or nonrenewal of a policy in an impacted area, except at the written request of the policyholder, until December 10, 2024.
- Prohibits the cancellation or nonrenewal of a personal residential or commercial residential property insurance policy covering a property repaired as a result of damage from Hurricane Helene for a period of 90 days after it has been repaired.
- Directs insurers, surplus lines and other regulated entities to implement processes and procedures to facilitate the efficient payment of claims.
Policyholder Protections for Hurricane Milton
OIR issued EO 400386-24 to protect policyholders impacted by Hurricane Milton. The order applies to all insurers in the state and policyholders in Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia. The order:
- Extends grace periods for any policy, provision, notice, correspondence, or law that imposes a time limit upon an insured to perform any act until December 10, 2024.
- Prohibits the cancellation or nonrenewal of a policy in an impacted area, except at the written request of the policyholder, until December 10, 2024.
- Prohibits the cancellation or nonrenewal of a personal residential or commercial residential property insurance policy covering a property repaired as a result of damage from Hurricane Milton for a period of 90 days after it has been repaired.
- Directs insurers, surplus lines and other regulated entities to implement processes and procedures to facilitate the efficient payment of claims.
Floridians seeking assistance with insurance related questions should contact the Department of Financial Services Consumer Services either by visiting their website, or by contacting the DFS Consumer Services Assistance Line 1-877-693-5236. The line is open Monday-Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM.
About the OIR
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has primary responsibility for regulation, compliance, and enforcement of statutes related to the business of insurance and the monitoring of industry markets. For more information about OIR, please visit our website or follow us on Twitter @FLOIR_comm.
