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By Ted Craig
The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season had been fairly quiet. This was the first time in eight years that there were no pre-season named storms. Then came the week of Sept. 12. First, Hurricane Fiona started to form, becoming a tropical depression on Sept. 14 and heading for the U.S.
Fiona caused major damage to Puerto Rico and parts of Canada, but missed the U.S. for the most part after threatening the East Coast. But a weak after Fiona’s formation started, Ian began building up in the West Indies. After hitting Cuba as a category 3 hurricane on Sept. 27, the storm headed for Florida.
The Keys were the first part of the state to experience Ian, as category 3. But the hurricane strengthened to a category 4 as it reached the mainland Sept 28. There were sustained winds of 145 mph, torrential rains reaching nearly two feet, and numerous tornadoes. The storm moved across Florida and then hit South Carolina on Sept. 30 with sustained winds of 85 mph.
Hurricane Ian left more than 100 people dead. It also caused billions of dollars of property damage. It’s now up to the restoration industry to repair that damage. The large national companies, along with local and reginal Texas companies, started mobilizing their catastrophe response before Ian made landfall.
One of the biggest issues facing restoration efforts now is the insurance situation in Florida. There are estimates that a large number of homeowners in the affected areas lack any kind of property insurance. Then there are the conflicts that often arise between restorers, homeowners and insurance companies following any hurricane.
The author (Ed Cross) says that restoration contractors need to form alliances with homeowners anytime they are working with insurance companies. Cross said to explain early on that while adjusters and consultants want to help homeowners, they also want to control costs.
Cross recommends having the homeowner sign an insurance information release form so contractors can communicate directly with the carriers. He said contractors need to push carriers to fully comply with the policies they sold.
