Insurers are deploying all available resources to process and pay claims from Hurricane Isaias, according to the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA).
The industry body is urging residents with damage to file claims as soon as possible and to be wary of contractors offering help.
“Insurers are dedicated to helping their policyholders recover from Hurricane Isaias by quickly reviewing every claim to pay for covered losses,” said Sarah Revell, APCIA’s vice president of public affairs.
The call comes as the first post-landfall loss estimate suggests the storm will cost insurers less than feared. Cotality has estimated insured wind and storm surge losses at $2 billion to $3 billion, with most of the damage in the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama. Before landfall, reinsurance brokers had put potential losses in the mid-single-digit billions.
Isaias came ashore near Destin, Florida, on October 9, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. It weakened quickly after landfall and became a post-tropical cyclone over Alabama on Saturday. Cotality said flooding remains the main lingering threat.
APCIA set out the key coverage distinction that will shape the claims process. Damage from wind and other severe weather is typically covered under a standard homeowners, renters or business policy. Flood damage is not, and homeowners need a separate flood policy, either through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood insurer.
Residents without flood insurance may be eligible for federal disaster assistance in the form of grants or loans, but only if a federal disaster is declared. Water damage to vehicles is generally covered where the policyholder has comprehensive physical damage cover.
The association advised homeowners to photograph damage, make temporary repairs where safe, keep receipts for repairs and additional living expenses, and avoid throwing out damaged property before an adjuster sees it. Many insurers are using virtual tools and aerial imagery to assess damage more quickly.
APCIA warned that fraudsters and unlicensed contractors often arrive after major storms to target homeowners in urgent need of repairs.
Revell said residents should work closely with their insurer before signing any contracts, to confirm the damage is covered and that any contractor they hire is licensed and insured. APCIA urged homeowners to be wary of unsolicited roof inspection offers, pressure to sign quickly and demands for cash upfront. Florida residents can check contractor licences through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
The lower loss estimate is good news for the market, but it doesn’t make individual claims any easier. Brokers in the Panhandle and southern Alabama will be helping clients through the gap between wind and flood cover, percentage-based hurricane deductibles, and additional living expense claims while power and housing are disrupted. Insurance Business covered these issues after landfall.
Fraud is the other area where brokers can help. Florida’s 2022 and 2023 property insurance reforms, which ended assignment of benefits on new residential property policies and removed one-way attorney fees, were designed to curb the contractor-driven litigation that inflated past hurricane claims. Isaias is the first significant test of those reforms since Milton in 2024.
Brokers who encourage clients to contact them and their insurer before signing anything with a contractor can help keep claims clean and prevent delays.
