Initial Payment Center opens in Port Charlotte for insurance claims

Robert Rioux removes a water logged bathroom counter already showing signs of mold from his home, Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla. Rioux removed most of the walls, cabinets and furniture after his home was flooded during Hurricane Ian on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

A new resource has opened for Floridians interested in making insurance claims in response to damage caused by Hurricane Ian.

The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has deployed an Initial Payment Center in Port Charlotte, where insurance carriers will be on hand to assist residents with the insurance claims process. The Charlotte County Initial Payment Center started operations Tuesday, and will remain open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the Port Charlotte Town Center parking lot at 1441 Tamiami Trail.

The Initial Payment Center allows policyholders to meet directly with their insurance companies to file claims, and for 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 policyholders 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.

For assistance when filing post-storm claims, DFS advises contacting the Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236) or by email at [email protected]. For more information on Hurricane Ian insurance assistance, visit www.MyFloridaCFO.com.

As of Monday, insurers have reported receiving 222,261 claims worth more than $1.6 billion in losses. That number will grow in the weeks and months ahead, bludgeoning an already fragile property insurance market.

The latest data from the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) show 74% of the claims, 165,008, are for residential property, and 136,465 of those are typical residential policies.

Another 3,249 claims are for commercial property. Much of the rest of the claims, 53,251, are for auto policies, crop insurance or industrial policies.

The numbers do not include homes covered by the National Flood Insurance Program, a federal government plan, but do reflect 719 private flood claims have been filed.

Insurers are required to make daily reports to the OIR for another week. Monday’s numbers rose by nearly $168 million over the last 24 hours.