A year ago today, South Florida was bracing for Hurricane Irma. As the category 4 storm made landfall in the Lower Keys, it ripped through the islands damaging thousands of homes and businesses.
The storm effectively closed the Keys for weeks and shattered lives in its wake. The rest of South Florida was spared the brunt of the Irma’s wind, rain and storm surge, but it revealed major shortcomings in how communities across the region prepare for hurricane season.
It basically brought Miami to its knees despite its relatively low wind speeds across the Magic City. Nearly one million Miami-Dade residents lost power, many of them for more than a week. Trees blocked roads everywhere and many businesses remain closed to this day because of the storm. Furthermore, residents continue to fight insurance carriers reluctant to pay full value for damage caused to their homes.
So what did Hurricane Irma reveal?
Tree Canopies can be a Problem
Trees falling on power lines, especially in Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and South Miami, caused many power outages. This prompted lawsuits and a lot of talk about burying power lines – which is an expensive proposition.
We can’t all head north towards Georgia
South Floridians spent hours on gridlocked highways heading north trying to escape as the storm approached. Many spent thousands of dollars driving from city-to-city and state-to-state. Since then, there has been more talk about how to better shelter in place and for those that need – using designated shelters as a last resort.
Make sure you have enough insurance coverage
While homeowner’s insurance sounds simple enough, don’t be fooled. There are a lot of working parts to a homeowner’s insurance policy. These five facts you need to know about homeowner’s insurance will help you determine where to start.
Certain issues can prevent you from recovering losses
While the assumption is that your insurance policy will cover everything in the event of property damage - that is simply not the case. There are certain actions you should and should not do before and after a storm in order to maximize your recovery under your policy.
If you have experienced loss from a hurricane, tropical storm or other major weather event – or you have questions about your existing policy - contact one of our experienced South Florida property insurance lawyers at Acle Law Firm for a free consultation. We will walk you through the terms of your insurance policy and provide representation in any dispute in Florida where your insurer is denying, delaying or under-paying your claim. Call our Miami property insurance claim attorneys at the Acle Law Firm today at 305-447-4667 or visit Acle Law for a free consultation