Parts of Florida face long recovery process from double-storm devastation

Jim Muszynski was still balancing cleanup and insurance claims five days after Hurricane Milton’s eye made landfall on Siesta Key. Muszynski remarked, “The cost is unbelievable,” alluding to Florida’s rapidly rising homeowners insurance premiums. Muszynski and his neighbors, who reside in Palm Island, which is part of the small Siesta Key enclave, have found it difficult to file claims due to the lack of power and sluggish internet connections.

Residents of Siesta Key are now among a select group of places that have been struck by two significant storms: Hurricane Helene, which had a large storm surge, and Hurricane Milton, which brought strong winds less than a week ago. Muszynski, who, like many Floridians, is beginning to navigate the claims process and encountering problems along the way, stated, “We are going to have to pay out of our pocket for the majority of it because our lower level is not considered a liveable space.”

Like many Floridians, Muszynski feels that homeowners insurance rates ought to be reduced since it has grown too costly to cover homes in a state that has drawn northerners for decades due to its cheaper cost of living. The harm is more severe along St. Petersburg Beach, a long, narrow barrier island an hour north of Siesta Key. Adrian Petrila, the mayor of St. Petersburg Beach, stated, “This is something this town hasn’t seen in over a hundred years.”

Petrila took some time to demonstrate to NBC6 the extent of the devastation that might result from two consecutive storms. Regarding a grey house across from Woodys, an outdoor seafood restaurant that was left in ruins by Helene’s storm, Petrila remarked, “You don’t expect a house to cave in like that from water.” “It’s amazing,” Petrila remarked. We had a storm surge of seven to eight feet. I just removed everything.High water was present the first time, and winds of 90 to 100 miles per hour were there the second time.

The mayor was not afraid to state that the rehabilitation would take a long time. Approximately 80 to 90 percent of the island’s residences have some form of water intrusion, he stated. “We’re talking about 3,000 to 4,000 houses on this one island alone.” Mark Friendlander responded that the insurance business is prepared to face the destruction caused by this double storm. Friedlander is employed by the Insurance Information Institute, a nonpartisan, non-profit research and education group dedicated to educating customers about the insurance market.

Friedlander asserted that legislative reforms that targeted abuses of the legal system and claim fraud had improved the financial status of insurance firms, saying, “In our opinion, the Florida insurance industry is in the best financial position it’s been in many years.” In 2024, nine private insurance companies have entered the Florida marketplace, which Friedlander cited as a positive sign.