Jesse Scheckner
Estimated insured losses from Hurricane Idalia continue to climb by the millions daily and have now crossed the $200 million mark.
As of Thursday, the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) website showed estimated losses at more than $202.3 million from 20,976 claims, up from $159.1 million from 17,681 claims at the beginning of last week.
The most recent figures show 14,529 residential property claims have been reported since the storm. Of those, 51.6% await closure.
Another 5,334 claims were for losses related to automobiles, aircraft and various machinery, among other things. Fifty-five percent of them remain outstanding.
There are also 839 commercial property claims. Just 25% have been closed.
The OIR is encouraging consumers having issues with a claim to report it.
Idalia made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area, where the Panhandle curves into the state peninsula, near Keaton Beach minutes before 8 a.m. Aug. 30.
The maelstrom struck at Category 3 strength, bringing maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and up to nine-foot storm surges in some areas before moving up through North Florida and into Georgia.
According to data analytics and risk assessment firm Verisk Analytics, losses from Idalia could swell to $4 billion, with the majority of that sum stemming from wind damage.
By comparison, there were more than $17.2 billion in estimated insured losses in Florida from Hurricane Ian and $253 million from Hurricane Nicole last year, $577 million from Hurricane Sally in 2020, $19 million from Hurricane Dorian in 2019, $9 billion from Hurricane Michael in 2018, $20.6 billion from Hurricane Irma in 2017 and $1.18 billion from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
