Jimmy Patronis offers tips and tricks as north Florida recovers from severe storms

Jimmy Patronis sets the stage for the insurance Special Session.

After severe weather swept the Florida Panhandle, the Big Bend area and Northeast Florida with tornadoes, damaging winds, hail and some localized flooding, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is offering resources to those impacted.

Patronis said residents should document any damage and be on the lookout for possible scams as they begin to recover.

A list of resources is available at PrepareFL.com.

There, residents can find a guide to navigating the insurance claims process; information on the Assignment of Benefits process and how it impacts homeowners; tips on what to expect after filing a homeowners insurance claim related to storm damage; and tips on how to avoid unlicensed contractors and repair scams.

“Much of North Florida, including the Panhandle and Big Bend, were hit by devastating severe weather and tornados early this morning. After the storms pass, residents should continue to take caution and heed all watches and warnings as they work to assess damage and recover,” Patronis said.

“With power outages reported in impacted areas, please do not run your generator inside any enclosed area such as your garage or in your home. Generators produce carbon monoxide which is completely colorless, odorless and very dangerous. These machines can be lifesavers, but can turn very deadly if not operated with the utmost caution.”

“Lastly, now is the time you are most vulnerable to storm related scams so be on the lookout for fraud,” Patronis added. “My fraud detectives will be boots on the ground in the impacted areas to hold bad actors accountable and educate homeowners on common storm scams. Don’t give cash to anyone coming to your doorstep offering repair services and don’t sign anything before calling your insurance company or my Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236).”

Nearly 80,000 people are without power in the state capital after severe weather swept across the panhandle and northern parts of the state. Overall, more than 166,000 were without power as of midday Friday, with nearly 86,000 of those outages affecting Leon County.

As of late Friday afternoon, scattered thunderstorms were still moving through parts of the panhandle and north Florida, but conditions had improved from the strong winds, tornadoes and hail that had been wreaking havoc, including reports of downed trees and damaged buildings. Severe damage was reported at Florida State University and at Tallahassee Railroad Square. The storms also caused school closures in Tallahassee and other areas.