Hurricane Isaias: How to Protect Your Florida Insurance Claim
If Hurricane Isaias damages your Florida home, the steps you take in the first days afterward can shape how your insurance claim is handled. Florida's property insurance laws changed significantly in 2022 and 2023, and many homeowners do not know the new rules until a deadline has passed.
This guide covers three things every Panhandle homeowner should know: how to document damage, when you must report your claim, and why the cause of the damage (wind or water) matters so much under your policy.
First, stay safe. Follow local emergency officials and the National Hurricane Center for current advisories, and do not enter a damaged structure until it is safe to do so.
Document your damage before anything changes
Your photos and records are often the strongest evidence in a claim. Insurers may inspect weeks after the storm, after repairs or weather have changed what can be seen.
Photograph and video everything, inside and out. Start with wide shots of each side of the house, then move to close-ups. Include the roof, siding, windows, fences, ceilings, walls, floors and damaged belongings.
Show where water came in. If rain entered through a damaged roof, window or wall, capture both the opening and the interior damage beneath it. That link matters later.
Note the date and time. Keep a simple written log of what you saw, when, and any changes over the following days.
Make reasonable temporary repairs. Most policies require you to protect the property from further damage, such as tarping a roof or boarding a window. Photograph the damage before and after, and keep every receipt.
Do not throw away damaged materials until they are photographed, and ideally until the insurer has inspected. Keep a sample of damaged flooring, drywall or roofing if you can.
Keep a file. Save your policy, every letter and email from your insurer, adjuster names, claim numbers, and notes of every phone call.
Report your Hurricane Isaias insurance claim on time
Florida law sets firm deadlines for reporting a property insurance claim. Miss them and the claim can be barred, even if the damage is real and covered.
Type of claim | Deadline to give notice to your insurer |
New claim, or reopened claim | 1 year after the date of loss |
Supplemental claim (additional damage on a claim already reported) | 18 months after the date of loss |
For hurricanes, the "date of loss" is generally the date the storm made landfall, not the date you first noticed the damage. Hidden damage, such as a slow roof leak, can surface months later, so report anything you suspect early.
Your policy may require "prompt" notice, which can be shorter than the statutory outer limit. Read your policy, and report as soon as you reasonably can. Separate deadlines also apply to filing a lawsuit.
Wind or water: why the cause of damage matters
In a hurricane, the same house can suffer damage from wind, rain and rising water. Your coverage often depends on which one caused each part of the loss.
Cause of damage | Where coverage usually comes from |
Wind (roof, siding, windows, fences, fallen trees) | Your homeowners policy, subject to your hurricane deductible |
Rain entering through a wind-created opening | Usually your homeowners policy, because wind created the opening |
Storm surge or rising floodwater | A separate flood policy (often through the National Flood Insurance Program); most homeowners policies exclude flood |
When a home has both wind and flood damage, insurers sometimes attribute as much of the loss as possible to flood, which the homeowners policy excludes. That is why documenting the wind damage, and the path water took into your home, is so important.
If you have both a homeowners policy and a flood policy, report the loss under both. Each has its own deadlines and requirements. FloodSmart, the National Flood Insurance Program's site, explains how flood claims work. Your hurricane deductible is usually a percentage of your dwelling coverage, not a flat dollar amount, so check the declarations page of your policy.
If your claim is delayed, underpaid or denied
Many claims are resolved without a lawyer. If your insurer delays, underpays or denies a claim you believe is covered, you have rights under your policy and under Florida law. Keep your documents organized and your deadlines in view.
The Innocent Law Firm, PLLC represents Florida homeowners in property insurance disputes. Learn more about our work, or reach us through our contact page.
About the author. Kimberly Innocent is a Florida attorney who represents homeowners in first-party property insurance disputes, including hurricane and wind claims. She has practiced law since 2015 and has focused her practice on insurance litigation for over a decade.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every policy and claim is different; consult a lawyer about your specific situation.
Kimberly Innocent, Esq. · The Innocent Law Firm, PLLC · 1580 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway, Suite 130, Sunrise, FL 33323
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