9/14/2017

Gov. Scott Issues Updates on Continued Hurricane Irma Response Efforts

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott will tour Hurricane Irma damage in Naples with President Donald Trump. This week, Governor Scott has joined FWC officers and members of the Florida National Guard to survey storm damage in Northeast Florida and the Florida Keys. The Governor will continue to be in constant communication with state and local emergency management officials, city and county leaders, law enforcement and National Guard leaders, and utility officials as Hurricane Irma response continues.

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS BY STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

• Flood warnings are in effect across the state. To see      the most current advisories in your county, click HERE.

POWER AND UTILITIES

• The current power outage as of 12:00 p.m. is more than      2.5 million accounts. For a full breakdown, click HERE.      Since the height of power outages, 6.7 million on Monday, power has been      restored to more than 4.2 million accounts, which is how utility companies      measure each Florida home or business. In less than three days, more than      60 percent of all outages have been restored by more than 30,000      restoration personnel across Florida – the largest power restoration      undertaking in history for a single state.
• Do not try to handle downed power lines. Contact your      local utility company to report it.

• Tampa Electric

• In total, 425,000 of Tampa Electric’s 730,000 customers were impacted by the storm. At the peak of the storm, 335,000 customers remained without power. Power has already been restored to more than 335,000 customers.
• Tampa Electric expects to restore power to essentially all customers the night of Sunday, September 17^th.
• About 3,200 line, tree and other workers, from other utilities from as far away as the Midwest, Northeast and Canada, continue to arrive today to assist Tampa Electric, as part of the largest restoration effort in U.S. history.
• In total, 4.4 million customers were impacted by the storm. Power has already been restored to more than 3 million customers.
• FPL expects power restoration to be completed for the East Coast the night of Sunday, September 17^th.
• FPL expects power restoration to be completed for the West Coast by Friday, September 22nd.
• FPL has mobilized the largest restoration workforce ever assembled with more than 18,000 out-of-state restoration personnel working around the clock.
• More than 1 million customers were impacted by the storm. Power has already been restored to more than 824,000 customers.
• Duke Energy expects power restoration to be completed for western service areas the night of Friday, September 15^th.
• Duke Energy expects power restoration to be completed for central and northern service areas the night of Sunday, September 17^th.
• More than 12,000 restoration workers have been mobilized to quickly restore power to all customers.
• Gulf Power has fully restored power to the 13,000 customers affected by the storm and has no storm related outages.
• Gulf Power has a restoration team in route to Tampa to assist with power restoration for Tampa Electric.
• More than 760,000 customers were impacted by the storm. Power has already been restored to more than 580,000 customers.
• Approximately 3,000 cooperative workers from Florida and nine other states are deploying to the hurricane impact zone to assist with restoration efforts.
• More than 800,000 customers were impacted by the storm. Power has already been restored to about 600,000 customers.
• Restoration is expected to be completed by the night of Sunday, September 17^th, except hardest hit areas, such as Key West, which will take longer to restore.
• Several utilities such as Tallahassee, Kissimmee and Jacksonville Beach are close to being fully restored. In addition, several smaller utilities like Newberry are already 100% restored.

• Florida Power and Light

• Duke Energy

• Gulf Power

• Florida Electric Cooperatives Assoc.

• Municipal Utilities

 

FUEL

• Port Everglades, Port Canaveral and Port of Tampa are      all open and are actively prioritizing fuel tanker ships. The Florida Highway      Patrol has 20 troopers dedicated to escorting fuel resupply trucks to      communities in need.
• This week, the Governor took the following actions to      expedite fuel delivery to gas stations:

• Directed the Florida Highway Patrol to escort fuel      resupply trucks to gas stations;
• Scott and executive office staff have held daily calls      with all fuel supply stakeholders, including Florida Ports;

• Following the Governor’s request, Vice President Pence      announced that the federal government has waived the Jones Act, which      waives additional rules and regulations to allow more fuel to get to      Florida fast. This waiver ensures that all options are available to      distribute fuel to Florida. The last Jones Act waiver was issued in      December 2012, for petroleum products to be delivered for relief      assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
• Following the Governor’s request, the Environmental      Protection Agency (EPA) has approved an emergency fuel waiver which allows      more fuel to quickly enter the state. For more information, please      click HERE.
• Requested eleven states to join Florida in waiving      weight and driver restrictions to move goods more quickly into the state,      including fuel.

 

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• More than 200 FWC officers statewide, including partner      agencies, are deployed in areas with resources such as trucks, coastal and      river patrol boats, ATVs and shallow draft boats to respond to critical      areas based on the storm’s path.
• FWC Special Operations Group (SOG) officers, National      Guard members and an Urban Search and Rescue Team continuing rescue      operations in the Keys.

• FWC has more than 500 law enforcement vessels,      including trucks, coastal and river patrol boats, ATVs and shallow draft      boats, deployed throughout the state including over 25 officers and boats      patrolling areas of Putnam and Clay counties surveying damage.
• FWC has sworn in nearly 200 officers deployed from      Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. The 50 officers from Louisiana will      be in Lake City to help with flooding issues.
• The entire Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), approximately      1,700 troopers, is on 12-hour shifts, with the primary mission to assist      emergency response.
• The Florida Highway Patrol has more than 70 troopers      who have conducted numerous missions to escort fuel resupply trucks from      Port of Jacksonville, Port of Tampa, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral to      communities in need.
• FHP has 50 troopers who have conducted numerous      security escorts for utility companies across the state so they may be      able to get to damaged areas more expediently.
• 50 troopers have been deployed to assist the Collier      County Sheriff and 20 troopers have been deployed to assist St. Johns      County law enforcement.
• FHP has troopers in Hardee County for traffic      control/road closure support, troopers in Orlando to assist with emergency      vehicle traffic, troopers in Duval County assisting with traffic      control/road closures due to flooding, troopers to provide security at the      DHSMV Lauderdale Lakes office and is anticipating numerous other urgent      emergency escorts to damaged areas in south Florida.
• FDLE is coordinating hundreds of law enforcement      missions through the state EOC including patrol and escort missions,      shelter security and helping staff in the local EOCs in the impacted      areas.
        

 MILITARY SUPPORT

• There are more than 10,000 soldiers and airmen on the      ground, as a combined force of members of the Florida National Guard,      partner National Guard states and active duty components, that have      conducted hundreds of missions across the state.
• In addition to Florida National Guard personnel and      assets, more than 2,200 Guardsmen from 12 states (Georgia, Wisconsin, New      Jersey, Indiana, Nebraska, Kentucky, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Minnesota,      Iowa, Mississippi and South Carolina) are currently assisting with      Hurricane Irma response operations.  If need arises, the Guard stands      ready to bring in more than 20,000 additional personnel through the      Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
• Soldiers and Airmen are operating at 14 Points of      Distribution (PODs) throughout the state, including the State Logistics      Readiness Center (SLRC) in Orlando and various Logistics Staging Areas      (LSAs) to ensure supplies are being quickly provided to those who need      them.
• All Florida Army National Guard aviation assets are      staged in Opalocka, where they are conducting air bridge operations to      deliver life-saving supplies to the Florida Keys in coordination with the      USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Iwo Jima.
• The Florida National Guard is employing two Command      Post Nodes (CPN) and two Joint Incident Site Communications Capability      (JISCC) systems to provide desperately needed communication capabilities      in the Florida Keys, and the Guard is working closely with Monroe County      to identify any additional needs.

 

SHELTERS

• More than 100 shelters are open throughout Florida with      a total population of more than 11,000 individuals. More than 60 special      needs shelters are open with a total population of 6,000 individuals. This      number is being updated throughout the day. Visit floridadisaster.org/shelters/summary.aspx to find information on shelters in your area.
• To find information about available shelter information      by county, visit floridadisaster.org/shelters.      FEMA is also hosting shelter information on its mobile app which can be      found at fema.gov/mobile-app.
• The state is fully committed to ensuring adequate food      resources are available to residents impacted by Hurricane Irma, and are      prioritizing these resources based on areas where landfall occurred first      and based upon urgency of need. USDA Foods from the state inventory have      been deployed and the state is distributing ice for shelters, canteens,      kitchens, and military support operations.

 

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL

• See the Governor’s statement regarding the tragedy in      Broward here: http://www.flgov.com/2017/09/13/gov-rick-scott-i-am-demanding-answers-on-fatalities-in-broward/

• More than 150 assisted living facilities, 9 hospitals,      and 126 other health care facilities, including 44 nursing homes, have      evacuated or are closed. Of Florida’s total 309 hospitals, all operational      facilities have power or are running on generator power. The 9 Florida      hospitals that are currently closed are continuing to coordinate with the      state on reopening.
• Disaster Medical Assistance Teams have been deployed to      provide healthcare services to communities in need.
• Up-to-date information on boil water notices is      available online HERE.
• The state is holding daily calls with assisted living      facilities and nursing homes to ensure they have everything they need to      serve those in their care. The state is aggressively working to restore      power to these facilities.
• Department of Health (DOH) Environmental Health staff      are conducting assessments throughout the state and epidemiology staff are      monitoring emergency department surveillance to identity carbon monoxide      poisonings relating to generator use.
• DOH staff continues to provide staffing for special      needs shelters and deploy other assets to aid in county recovery efforts.      Ambulance strike teams have also been deployed to aid with movements.
• OneBlood is urging all those who are able to visit a      local blood center and donate blood to do so. They have an urgent need for      platelets and O negative blood.
• The Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ regional      offices have been in constant contact with providers, waiver support      coordinators, and APD customers to ensure they are safe and the status of      their homes. Two Group Homes run by Monroe Association for Remarkable      Citizens (MARC) evacuated to Orlando and have extended their stay until      Monday. They have heard that their group homes were not damaged by      Hurricane Irma and they plan to return home as soon as possible. APD has      established an email box for specific APD questions related to Hurricane      Irma at Irmainfo@apdcares.org.
• Group Home residents are leaving emergency shelters and      returning home as mandatory evacuations are rescinded. Two Group Homes run      by Monroe Association for Remarkable Citizens (MARC) evacuated to Orlando      and plan to stay until Friday. They are waiting to hear from local      officials when it is safe to return to Monroe County.
• Residents, especially residents with special needs,      should plan for conditions along their route home as well as conditions in      their impacted community. For road conditions, please check 511.com.      Residents should contact their local county or emergency management      officials for the most up-to-date information regarding curfews, power      outages, reentry policies and the availability of necessary commodities.
• The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA)      operates six skilled nursing facilities and one assisted living facility.      All state veterans’ homes are currently operational. One veterans home is      currently operating on generator power.
• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a      number of Florida-based medical centers, outpatient clinics and Vet      Centers in the storm path. For specific information on all VA closures in      Florida, please click HERE      or visit http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/hurricane-irma/

 

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

• Today, the Florida Department of Transportation      announced that I-75 will remain open, as flood waters have been receding      on the Santa Fe River. As of this morning, FDOT engineers and state      meteorologists do not believe that the Santa Fe River will reach a level      to make the interstate unsafe.

• FDOT continues to monitor the effect of unprecedented      flooding at the Santa Fe River on nearby roadways and its impact on      traffic flow. FDOT is watching S.R. 47 and U.S. 121 and will reroute      traffic if needed. See the most recent closures below:

• US 27 BRIDGE CLOSURE: Northbound – US 27 traffic to      Lake City detour at NW 9th Street in High Springs. Southbound – US 27 to      Gainesville and Southbound US 27 traffic to Gainesville detour at SR 47 in      Fort White.
• US 41 BRIDGE CLOSURE: Northbound – US 41 traffic to      Lake City detour at Winn Dixie in High Springs. Southbound – US 41 traffic      to Gainesville detour at CR 778.

• FDOT continues to coordinate with Google’s emergency      response team to “close” damaged roads in Google Maps in real time      following damage assessments. FDOT is also working closely with WAZE, the      Georgia Department of Transportation and other transportation industry      partners to communicate the potential reroutes to the public.
• Governor Rick Scott announced that the Federal Highway      Administration (FHWA) has approved a $25 million Emergency Relief (ER)      Quick Release Grant to support response and recovery efforts for Florida’s      roadways and transportation system. This federal funding will be used to      conduct emergency repairs on impacted roads, embankments, bridges or other      infrastructure and help restore traffic on major roadways to ensure      Florida residents and visitors can travel safely.
• FDOT debris removal crews have cleared U.S. 1 down to      Key West. Local officials will determine when it’s safe to reenter Monroe      County.
• The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)      has completed damage assessments on major highways. Every interstate and      turnpike is open for Floridians, however, there is heavy traffic volume on      I-10 eastbound and I-75 southbound. Everyone should continue to listen to      local officials on when to return home.
• FDOT’s cut and toss crews will continue to work with      utility crews across the state to clear road debris so power can be      restored quickly.
• Bridge inspections and debris clearance are ongoing      throughout the state.
• FDOT is continuing to coordinate with other states to      deploy additional resources to impacted counties.
• Around the state, FDOT has 13 traffic management      centers where hundreds of DOT workers are monitoring traffic cameras 24/7.
• Governor Scott directed the FDOT to suspend tolls      across the entire State of Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma.      Tolls remain suspended and immediate recovery efforts continue.

 

RECOVERY BRANCH

• An aggressive recovery effort is ongoing, working with      FEMA to identify and activate federal grant programs that can benefit      Floridians and their communities.
• President Donald Trump’s Administration expanded Major      Disaster Declaration for Florida requested by Governor Scott to include      individual assistance for Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay,      Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando,      Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin,      Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Palm Beach,      Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter      and Volusia counties. Sunday, just hours after Governor Scott’s request,      President Trump approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Florida      authorizing federal funding to flow directly to Floridians impacted by      Hurricane Irma and reimburse local communities and the state government to      aid in response and recovery. See the amendments to the declaration HERE.
• Emergency Protective Measures (Category A and Category      B) funded through the Federal Public Assistance Program is available for      all 67 counties.

 

DISASTER ASSISTANCE

• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is      encouraging individuals and families to be alert for false rumors, scams,      identity theft, and fraud. For resources on how to protect yourself and      your loves ones from disaster fraud, visit https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-irma-rumor-control.
• Residents who sustained losses in the declared counties      can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.      Residents who suffered damages from the storm may register now, and if      their county is later included in the declaration, the application will be      processed automatically.
• Governor Scott will continue to work with President      Trump and FEMA to approve more funding to additional communities affected      by the storm.
• Residents are also encouraged to download the FEMA App      to begin the registration process. Simply click on Disaster Resources.
• If you do not have access to the internet, you may      register by calling 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY); if you      use 711 Relay or Video Relay Service call 1-800-621-3362.
• The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7:00      a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

 

SCHOOL CLOSURES

• Please visit www.fldoe.org/irma/ to      view all school closures.

 

VOLUNTEER EFFORTS

• Volunteer Florida and the Department of Management      Services are seeking state employee volunteers to transport food to      affected areas in Southwest and Northeast Florida beginning Friday, Sept.      15. DMS is also working with rental car companies to secure cargo vans and      box trucks for this effort and both agencies are coordinating with the      American Red Cross to deliver supplies to shelters and staging areas. For      more information, visit www.dms.myflorida.com and click “Hurricane Irma: Volunteer to Help.”
• Governor Rick Scott activated the Florida Disaster Fund to      support individuals who are impacted by Tropical Storm Irma. The      Florida Disaster Fund helps provide financial support to Florida’s      communities in times of disaster. To make a contribution, please      visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or text DISASTER to 20222 to make a one-time      donation of $10. Volunteer Florida has also engaged with Facebook to      activate a donation portal online.
• In response to Hurricane Irma, Lyft is donating      $100,000 to a “Relief Rides” program helping those in need get to/from      hospitals and shelters after the hurricane, as well as partnering with      Team Rubicon to help their volunteers. If you are associated with a      hospital, shelter, or local government, please email florida@lyft.com so      that Lyft can get you access to a pre-funded account to help those in      need. Click here for      information on how partners can use Lyft’s Concierge Service to request      rides for those in need and who may not have access to a      smartphone. If you are an individual in need of a ride, please use      the code HELPFLORIDA. For information on specific locations for Relief      Rides please click here.
• Volunteer Florida is working with Uber to transport      food to people in shelter. Uber is donating $400,000 of rides, food and      relief to families and communities affected as well as first responders.      Uber will also provide free rides to and from shelters for residents of      Hillsborough and other impacted areas, including Duval County and Lee County.      In partnership with Volunteer Florida, Uber will provide free rides to      help move volunteers to shelters in impacted areas. Local governments,      nonprofits, and organizations with an immediate need can visit IrmaRelief@uber.com.

• Volunteer Florida is working with Johnson &      Johnson, which is donating baby supplies and personal hygiene items to      victims, Americares, which is donating pharmaceutical supplies to special      needs shelters, Poland Water, which is donating 100 box cars of bottled      water, American Logistics Network to stand up a multiple agency warehouse,      and multiple volunteer partners.
• A Red Cross advance team is in the Florida Keys      evaluating and assessing the most expeditious manner to provide services      and emergency supplies there.
• The American Red Cross has accepted 1,000 meals offered      through Volunteer Florida from Boar’s Head Provisions. Local arrangements      are being made to deliver these meals to areas of need in Duval County.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

• 49 Florida State Parks have reopened for day-use only,      125 parks remain closed to ensure visitor safety. Park service staff have      formed teams to respond to impacted parks and re-open them as quickly as      possible. A full list of closures can be found at https://floridastateparks.org/content/storm-information.
• At Governor Scott’s request, EPA will make it      easier for Duke Energy Florida to use available fuel resources for      vehicles and equipment responding to power outages in Florida as a result      of Hurricane Irma to allow recovery efforts to continue as quickly as      possible.
• DEP staff are conducting assessments of beach impacts      in Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, Martin, St. Lucie, Palm Beach, Pinellas,      Manatee, Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Franklin and Gulf counties. DEP      continues to coordinate with USACE to expedite recovery of Florida      beaches.
• DEP has mobilized 12 Hazardous Assessment and Response      Teams in coordination with the EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard to assess      hazardous waste facilities and respond to pollution incidents and other      storm impacts. The 40 members of these teams have deployed to Duval and      Hillsborough counties tomorrow to begin assessments, and are identifying      additional sites north of Lake Okeechobee for assessment. A total of 119      assessments have been completed.
• DEP staff continue to respond to local governments and      utilities requests for support. DEP is mobilizing contractors to      county-identified debris sites.
• Dune and beach fortification activities in St. Johns,      Volusia and Flagler counties that had begun in the week prior to Hurricane      Irma have resumed.
• Technical specialists from EPA’s water division have      deployed to Florida to assist DEP staff with wastewater and drinking water      system recovery.
• DEP has established a mutual aid system to coordinate      responses between utilities, the department, and other responders. This      system is active and continues to coordinate and respond to the needs of      drinking and waste water facilities throughout Florida. This includes      ensuring generators are provided to the Town of White Springs, Alachua      County, City of Delray Beach, City of Pompano Beach and Manatee County for      lift stations, wastewater plant and other vital infrastructure operations.
• DEP continues to coordinate with GIS and subject matter      experts to map priority sites for preliminary damage assessments, and with      FDOT to assure roads are cleared to priority sites to expedite      assessments.
• DEP is coordinating with US Army Corps of Engineers,      FDOT, US Coast Guard, FWC, and FEMA on debris removal statewide.
• DEP is mobilizing Beach Response Teams and      participating with assistance of USACE in efforts to expedite recovery of      Florida beaches.
• DEP has issued an emergency order to ensure recovery      efforts are not hampered or delayed. DEP has expanded that order for power      plants to cover the entire state to assist any facility recovering from      the storm and a new order to waive certain rules for fuel facilities      impacted by the storm statewide. Both orders apply only to impacted      facilities and have provisions to guard the environment while assisting in      quick recovery of critical infrastructure.
• DEP is working with FWC, EPA, and the U.S. Coast Guard      to mitigate pollutants from submerged vessels.

 

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS

• The Suwannee River Water Management District is working      with the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Highway Patrol and      Florida Department of Environmental Protection to manage conditions around      the Santa Fe River at 1-75 to ensure public safety.
• The South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD)      Aerial inspections and Damage Assessment Unit teams have completed      inspections of the canals, levees and structures throughout the District.      No levee breaches have been found.
• Three 42-inch temporary pumps are being relocated to      Collier County to assist with lowering canal levels.
• Pumps along the southern rim of Lake Okeechobee are      pumping water into the lake to address flooding, which has affected      families and businesses in Glades communities.
• Debris teams have been deployed in Miami-Dade, Broward      and Collier counties to assess debris in canals that could slow the flow      of water and begin removal.  Most canals are receding to normal      levels.
• SFWMD continues to coordinate with local drainage      districts and to operating flood control structures to address localized      flooding. This includes relocating temporary pumps to Collier County and      assisting Orlando International Airport with operations to lower its water      levels.
• Two major St. Johns River Water Management District      (SJRWMD) water control structures remain closed, preventing 3,300 cubic      feet per second from entering the St. Johns River. So far total discharge      to the St. Johns River has been reduced by 8,300 cubic feet per second.
• Two additional SJRWMD structures are open, discharging      5,000 cubic feet per second of water to the Indian River Lagoon, to help      mitigate flooding.
• SJRWMD continues to deploy pumps and staff to assist      Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties in recovery efforts from flooding      caused by Hurricane Irma.
• SJRWMD responded to a request from a local municipality      and pumped out flood waters from an assisted living home in Putnam County.
• SWFWMD continues to operate water control structures.      All structures without power are being monitored and are discharging as      needed. These structures can be manually operated if needed.

 

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

• Governor Scott announced today that the Florida      Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has launched the Florida Small      Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support businesses impacted by      Hurricane Irma to provide short-term, interest-free loans to small      businesses that experienced physical or economic damage during the storm.      To complete an application by the Oct. 31, 2017, deadline, visit www.floridadisasterloan.org.      For more information contact the Florida Small Business Development Center      Network at 850-898-3489 or email Disaster@FloridaSBDC.org.
• DEO has launched the Disaster Unemployment Assistance      (DUA) Program to provide assistance to businesses and residents whose      employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a result of      Hurricane Irma. To file for DUA or for more information go to www.FloridaJobs.org      or call 1-800-385-3920.

• A private sector hotline is available at (850) 410-1403      to respond to calls from businesses and private sector support      organizations.
• The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity      (DEO) is readying the Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program to      provide temporary income support to eligible individuals in counties      approved for FEMA Individual Assistance.
• The state is working to identify the “open/close”      status of businesses. This information is being posted to the SERT      Tropical Storm Irma web page: http://www.floridadisaster.org/info/.
• The Florida Retail Federation is assisting in      coordinating information to Florida Retailers regarding restocking of      emergency supplies, readying mobile pharmacies, and the transportation of      fuel.
• The Florida Small Business Development Center Network      is working with federal officials to identify additional staffing and      financial resources to support business response activities.
• The Florida Chamber of Commerce is coordinating with      their members and local chambers to determine post-storm recovery needs      and identifying resources available to be sent to the affected areas.

 

INSURANCE

• At the Direction of Governor Scott, Insurance      Commissioner Altmaier issued an Emergency Order suspending and activating      certain insurance rules and statutes for the health, safety, and welfare      of Florida’s policyholders. Among other provisions, the Order provides an      additional 90 days to policyholders to supply information to their      insurance company; prohibits insurance companies from canceling or      non-renewing policies covering residential properties damaged by the      hurricane for at least 90 days; and freezes any and all efforts to      increase rates on policyholders for 90 days. The Order can be found HERE.
• Floridians affected by the storm must now begin the      process of surveying damages to their property and belongings. If you need      help finding your Florida’s property insurance company’s website and      contact information, click HERE.      For a list of licensed insurance agents in Florida, click HERE.
• Consumers with questions about their policies and those      who need help filing a claim should call the CFO’s free Insurance Consumer      Helpline at 1-877-693-5236.
• It is important to document all damaged property and      belongings. A free smartphone app developed by the National Association of      Insurance Commissioners called “MyHome Scr.APP.book” is available to assist      with photo documentation.
• OIR has updated its “Hurricane Season Resources” webpage, which contains links to information provided      by the Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Attorney General, Commissioner      of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood      Insurance Program, and contact information for Florida’s property      insurers.