Hurricane Ian Recovery Resources: Updates For 10-9-22
Initial Payment Centers
The Florida Department of Financial Services has opened two Initial Payment Centers (IPC) in the affected area. The purpose of the IPC is for policyholders to meet directly with their insurance companies to file claims, and for the insurance companies to issue checks to Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, insurance carriers will focus on the immediate needs of policy holders by providing resources for specific items including living expenses.
Policyholders should bring as much documentation as they can, including:
— A driver’s license or other form of identification (Passport/State issued ID)
— Insurance cards and insurance policy information/documentation
— Pictures or documentation of the property being claimed as a loss resulting from Hurricane Ian
— Any additional insurance-related information that is readily accessible.
Locations:
— Port Charlotte Town Center (Parking Lot): 1441 Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte, FL 33948
Daily Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. ET Daily
— Lakes Regional Library: 15290 Bass Road Fort Myers, FL 33919
Daily Hours of Operation: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. ET Daily
Flood insurance waivers to speed up processing times
Based on a request from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to approve a waiver that will assist homeowners with national flood insurance, who were impacted by Hurricane Ian, will be able to get their claims processed faster.
This waiver will allow current policyholders to access a portion of their claim without having to complete the full claims process. This will speed up the process for people who are waiting for assistance. It will also provide up to $20,000 for necessary repairs.
This does not mean that policyholders can bypass the full claims process. The waiver is only in place to help get the process started faster, and provide assistance to those in affected areas. Policyholders will still need to complete the full insurance claims process.
If you are a policyholder that evacuated before the storm, and are unsure if you have flood damage, you can still start the flood insurance claims process if you suspect that you could have been effected by flooding.
Policyholders can contact their insurance agent or company to discuss next steps or start the NFIP Flood Claim process on the FEMA website. If you are not sure who the insurance agent or company is for your flood insurance, you can call (877) 336-2627.
Lee County Property Appraisal Office Update
The Lee County Property Appraiser’s office recently shared that they will be evaluating all the county’s 550,000 properties, getting assessments on the damage and redetermining the values during the next couple of months following Wednesday’s destruction wrought by Hurricane Ian. Lee County property appraiser Matt Caldwell notes that residents could help streamline this process by submitting their own information. If you visit LeePa.org, the home page now has links to submit details about damage as well as photographs.