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Reasons for a blackout
Reasons for a blackout in southern Florida that shut down 2 nuclear reactors remains a mystery (Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald)
MIAMI (AP) - Power executives were still in the dark Wednesday about how a glitch at a substation triggered a blackout that cut power to millions across south Florida.
Florida's Blackout: A Warning Sign? (Time Magazine)
A substation located next to Florida Power and Light headquarters is shown in Miami, Tuesday, February 26, 2008. Florida experienced a widespread power outage on Tuesday.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 02:20 AM
Major Home Insurance Company
Major Home Insurance Company Writing Fewer Florida Policies (WFTV 9 Orlando)
Another major insurance company is bailing out of Florida. MetLife policy holders received letters this week. The company says it will no longer renew some home insurance policies.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 05:00 AM
Power back on after
Power back on after outages hit Florida (The Pantagraph)
MIAMI -- A problem with Florida's electrical grid caused a nuclear plant to automatically shut down Tuesday and intermittently cut power to up to 3 million people from Daytona Beach through the Florida Keys.
Louisiana to revamp mental health plan (AP via Yahoo! News)
Louisiana's top health official announced a plan on Tuesday to revamp the New Orleans-area's mental health system, which has been in disarray since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 06:45 AM
State Farm to stop
State Farm to stop writing policies in Florida (Miami Herald)
State Farm Florida, the largest private insurer of homes in this state, plans to limit its growth in Florida by not writing new policies, beginning March 1.
MetLife, State Farm Not Renewing Florida Policies (Central Florida News 13)
A double blow for Florida homeowners: Just one day after State Farm Insurance announced it was not going to write any more policies in Florida, News 13 has learned MetLife is dropping some of its customers.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 09:50 AM
Homeowner's suit contends State
Homeowner's suit contends State Farm Florida withheld insurance discounts (Sun-Sentinel)
State Farm Florida Insurance Co. , Florida's largest property insurer, is accused of failing to provide discounts to windstorm policy holders with hurricane-safe "hip" roofs, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Broward County Circuit Court.
State Farm will no longer write new policies in Florida (Sun-Sentinel)
State Farm, Florida's largest private property insurer, plans to essentially shut the door to selling new homeowner windstorm policies statewide.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 11:30 AM
State Farm to stop
State Farm to stop selling homeowner polices in Florida (TCPalm.com)
State Farm, Florida's largest private property insurer, plans to essentially shut the door to selling new homeowner policies statewide. State Farm officials told the state Office of Insurance Regulation last week about their plans to stop accepting new business, insurance regulation office spokesman Ed Domansky said Saturday.
State Farm will no longer write new policies in Florida (Sun-Sentinel)
State Farm, Florida's largest private property insurer, plans to essentially shut the door to selling new homeowner windstorm policies statewide.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 01:15 PM
Fitch Rts $155MM Florida
Fitch Rts $155MM Florida Full Faith & Credit Right-of-Way Bonds AA+ (InfoBolsa)
22/02/2008 19:43:00 Business Wire Fitch Ratings assigns an AA+ rating to Florida s approximately $150 million full faith and credit department of transportation right-of-way acquisition and bridge construction bonds, series 2008A, for bid on 18-hours notice as soon as Feb.
Florida Hurricane Fund bill advances (Miami Herald)
A bill to reduce the Florida Hurricane Fund's exposure to $25 billion from $28 billion passed its first hurdle Thursday, winning unanimous approval from the House Jobs and Entrepreneurship Council.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 04:30 PM
One hurricane away from
One hurricane away from 'largest tax hike' (The Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
Worried that it couldn't pay for a big hit, state may reduce its fund that aids insurers.
Florida man arrested on Miss. home repair fraud charges (WDAM-TV Hattiesburg)
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A 42-year-old Florida man has been accused of felony home repair fraud stemming from unfinished or poorly done Hurricane Katrina repairs in Mississippi.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 07:25 PM
Florida man arrested in
Florida man arrested in connection to home repair fraud (The Clarion-Ledger)
The Mississippi Attorney General's Office has made its 58th arrest in felony home repair fraud against Hurricane Katrina victims.
Sink's plan would increase cost of property insurance (The Palm Beach Post)
Property insurance premiums could increase 2 percent across the state and more in South Florida under a proposal from CFO Alex Sink that easily cleared its first hurdle today in the state House.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 08:15 PM
State aims to shift
State aims to shift insurance risk (Bradenton Herald)
State Rep. Ron Reagan plans to introduce a bill Thursday that would shift some of the hurricane-risk burden from taxpayers back to private insurers.
Alabama beaches gear up for spring break (AP via Yahoo! News)
Alabama beach resorts posted record visitor spending on lodgings last year, bouncing back three years after Hurricane Ivan left widespread wreckage on the coast.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 08:20 PM
Florida Kitchenware Retailer Gives
Florida Kitchenware Retailer Gives Back to New Orleans (The Gourmet Retailer)
FEBRUARY 19, 2008 -- Brandon, Fla.-based Rolling Pin is hosting the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) "Gives Back" Charity Event on March 11, 2008. Proceeds from this event will go directly to benefit the historic Crescent City Farmers Market in New Orleans, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 08:25 PM
Voted #1 Florida Press
Voted #1 Florida Press 2004 and 2005 Best Web Site Florida Keys Keynoter (Keynoter.com)
Key West High School's undefeated Ralph Major advanced to the semifinals of the Class 1-A state wrestling meet Friday at the Lakeland Center with an easy 17-2 victory over Nick Pauliot of Hernando.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 09:50 PM
2 Ports of Stability
2 Ports of Stability in Florida?s Market (New York Times)
Compared with much of Florida, including nearby Fort Myers, where there is a glut of inventory, Sanibel and Captiva are holding their own.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 11:25 PM
Voted #1 Florida Press
Voted #1 Florida Press 2004 and 2005 Best Web Site Florida Keys Keynoter (Keynoter.com)
Coral Shores' Lady Hurricanes notched their second straight win to start the lacrosse season with Friday's 9-7 home victory over Palmer Trinity. But in the nightcap of the lacrosse twinbill, the Hurricane boys surged to a lead over Palmer's Falcons but lost an 8-7 decision in overtime.
Undersea sensors may help solve hurricane mysteries (Sun-Sentinel)
It's South Florida's worst nightmare: A moderate hurricane crosses a pocket of deep warm water in the Gulf of Mexico and explodes into a top-of-the-chart Category 5 monster.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 12:25 AM
After 24 years in
After 24 years in captivity, Hurricane the manatee goes wild (The Columbus Dispatch)
Another hurricane is loose in Florida.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 04:35 AM
Trailers given to US
Trailers given to US disaster victims unsafe: CDC (TODAYonline)
A Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer sits in "FEMA City" in Punta Gorda, Florida, in 2006. Tens of thousands of trailers that the US government provided people left homeless after Hurricane Katrina contain unsafe levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday.
2007 Hurricane Season Starts Early, Ends Late (Science Daily)
The Atlantic Hurricane Season began early in 2007, and by mid-December it was still going. The season officially begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30. That means that for the most part, storms have formed and fizzled between those dates, or they used to. NASA satellites were watching and providing data from the beginning when Andrea kicked off the season on May 9 when she formed 150 miles northeast of ...
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 08:00 AM
Spring break takes students
Spring break takes students south for hurricane cleanup (Royal Oak Daily Tribune)
ROYAL OAK -- Jamie Love will pack plenty of sunscreen for his first high school spring break, but he will need a hard hat more than a swim suit for his week in the South.
Voted #1 Florida Press 2004 and 2005 Best Web Site Florida Keys Keynoter (Keynoter.com)
Coral Shores' Lady Hurricanes notched their second straight win to start the lacrosse season with Friday's 9-7 home victory over Palmer Trinity. But in the nightcap of the lacrosse twinbill, the Hurricane boys surged to a lead over Palmer's Falcons but lost an 8-7 decision in overtime.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 12:30 PM
More rain, wind forecast
More rain, wind forecast for today in South Florida (Sun-Sentinel)
Heavy rains, howling winds and overcast skies settled over South Florida on Tuesday like a case of the blues. The lousy weather snarled traffic, caused minor flight delays and made going outside miserable.
Wild Ride in Randolph County (KAIT Jonesboro)
RANDOLPH COUNTY (KAIT) - Richard and Lisa Overton moved from Florida to Randolph County six months ago. In Florida you have time to get away from a hurricane. Last Tuesdays tornadoes came quickly with no chance to run.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 03:50 PM
Key West residents pay
Key West residents pay a price for paradise (USA Today)
At the charter docks here, the tanned men in sunglasses and shorts who fish for a living take a casual view of the storms that bedevil the islands of South Florida.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 05:25 PM
Xtreme parenting: How working
Xtreme parenting: How working moms of twins and triplets cope (Sun-Sentinel)
Support networks allow moms with twins and triplets to balance parenting, careers The day after Donna Bean's triplets were born, a hurricane was threatening South Florida . She urged her husband, Jeff, to put up the shutters on their Coral Springs home. He fell from the ladder and broke his ankle.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 06:05 PM
Not forgotten: the 1928
Not forgotten: the 1928 hurricane and its victims (Miami Herald)
It still pains Viola Singleton to talk about the storm all these years later. She's 96 years old, is slowed by bad legs and has buried most of her family, including a son who never made 40. She lives in a nursing home just a few miles from where her worst memories were born.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 08:50 PM
Feds: Florida Orange Crop
Feds: Florida Orange Crop Forecast Slightly Lower Than Last Month (WFTV 9 Orlando)
MIAMI -- Florida's orange harvest will be slightly lower than previously forecast, federal agriculture officials said Friday, but the prediction didn't stop a prominent citrus official from characterizing it as "good news" for growers and juice lovers.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 12:15 AM
Voted #1 Florida Press
Voted #1 Florida Press 2004 and 2005 Best Web Site Florida Keys Keynoter (Keynoter.com)
Coral Shores High seems likely to be the host of the girls lacrosse district tournament in April, Lady Hurricane coach Mark Hall said, so the Lady Canes should do their best to win it.
Hurricane Legislation (WJHG Panama City)
Legislative Leaders want to change the way the state prepares for hurricanes, and it could cost you more up front. Lawmakers are looking at revamping the Catastrophe fund and requiring some Floridians to storm-proof their homes. Insurance premiums could go up, but lawmakers say it would save taxpayers in the long run.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 02:30 AM
State moves out remaining
State moves out remaining animals from All Creatures shelter (The Hendersonville Times-News)
A trailer loaded with 49 dogs and bound for South Florida pulled away from All Creatures Great and Small on Wednesday afternoon, an hour before the state shut down the shelter for good.
Risk issue worries Florida insurance panel (The Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
Some Florida lawmakers wonder why rates remain high despite the state stepping in with financial help, while others worry that aid now puts Florida in financial risk.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 06:40 AM
Pet shelter could open
Pet shelter could open for '09 storm season (The Palm Beach Post)
Fido will have a fighting chance if a hurricane strikes the Treasure Coast during next year's storm season.
Florida Insurers Defend Increases in Home Rates (NYTimes.com via Yahoo! Finance)
Facing accusations of price gouging, insurance company executives said that they had been forced to raise rates to offset losses and prepare for the possibility of more frequent hurricanes in the future.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 11:30 AM
Insurance companies in Florida
Insurance companies in Florida used loophole in law to bypass required rate savings (Sun-Sentinel)
Companies used loophole in law to justify increases It appears some of the state's biggest insurers tried to use loopholes in a law to skirt a requirement that they pass savings from a state-backed financial safety net to homeowners.
Insurance Execs Face Tough Questions from Florida Lawmakers (WCTV Tallahassee)
For the second day in a row, insurance executives faced tough questions from Florida lawmakers over how rates are determined. There is a consensus that the companies are using a near term loss prediction model which hasn t been approved and may be driving rates up.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 01:20 PM
Newly Appointed National Hurricane
Newly Appointed National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read to Be Introduced at 2008 Windstorm Insurance Conference (Centre Daily Times)
Bill Read, the new director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., will be introduced at the 2008 Windstorm Insurance Conference on February 5, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront in downtown Jacksonville, Fla.
Nationwide Insurance Company of Florida Testifies Before Florida Senate Select Committee (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
COLUMBUS, Ohio----Nationwide Insurance Company of Florida's president today told the Florida Senate Select Committee on Property Insurance Accountability that the company has complied with House Bill 1A.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 04:20 PM
Court: Allstate Can Still
Court: Allstate Can Still Write Policies in Florida, for Now (Insurance Journal)
Allstate insurance companies can keep on writing new policies in Florida under an appeals court ruling that rejected the state's attempt to stop them, but which also potentially sets up a quick resolu
More State Stories (Bay News 9 Tampa Bay)
(Bay News 9) -- New rules proposed last week could help waterfront homes throughout Florida when it comes to hurricane protection.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 06:45 PM
Florida Developer Recovers $42.5
Florida Developer Recovers $42.5 Million in Settlement on Hurricane Claim (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.----Real estate developer Panama City Beach Condos, LP, recovered $42.5 million in a settlement with Axis Surplus Insurance Company in a case that was tried to verdict in a Florida federal court stemming from a Hurricane Dennis insurance claim.
Voted #1 Florida Press 2004 and 2005 Best Web Site Florida Keys Keynoter (Keynoter.com)
Three district runners-up lead a Coral Shores contingent to next weekend s Region 4-A wrestling meet in Broward County. We did a whole lot better than we expected, Hurricane head coach Mark Terrill said. The only disappointment was that we didn t have district [weight-class] champion.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 08:25 PM
Voted #1 Florida Press
Voted #1 Florida Press 2004 FIRST PLACE Best Web Site Florida Keys Keynoter (Keynoter.com)
Bracing for continued weakening in Florida s economy, Gov. Charlie Crist proposed a $70 billion state budget Thursday that would boost spending on programs to stimulate business and count on reserves and gambling money to get through the tough times.
Florida Developer Recovers $42.5 Million in Settlement on Hurricane Claim (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.----Real estate developer Panama City Beach Condos, LP, recovered $42.5 million in a settlement with Axis Surplus Insurance Company in a case that was tried to verdict in a Florida federal court stemming from a Hurricane Dennis insurance claim.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 10:00 PM
Florida Developer Recovers $42.5
Florida Developer Recovers $42.5 Million in Settlement on Hurricane Claim (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.----Real estate developer Panama City Beach Condos, LP, recovered $42.5 million in a settlement with Axis Surplus Insurance Company in a case that was tried to verdict in a Florida federal court stemming from a Hurricane Dennis insurance claim.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 11:25 PM
Allstate can keep writing
Allstate can keep writing Florida policies: ruling (Crain's Chicago Business)
(AP) -- Allstate insurance companies can keep writing new policies in Florida under an appeals court ruling that rejected the state's attempt to stop them, but that also potentially sets up a quick resolution to the standoff. In the ruling issued late Wednesday, the state's 1st District Court of ...
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 02:30 AM
