« February 2009 | Main | April 2009 »
Florida hurricane catastrophe fund
Florida hurricane catastrophe fund under scrutiny (Miami Herald)
The two rating agencies that track Florida-based insurers are closely monitoring the state's hurricane catastrophe fund over the next few weeks.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 04:15 PM
Spring breaking with a
Spring breaking with a purpose (Tideland News)
Tideland News Writer Spring break conjures up visions of bikini-clad college students having fun on a tropical southern beach. And while thousands of young people do head down to Florida and enjoy a week away from cold weather, 10 students from the University of Wisconsin at Madison spent their spring break in the Swansboro community doing chores to help others.
Ample evidence Florida's feeling effects of climate change (The Palm Beach Post)
Maybe the fish are on to something. Don Hammond, who catches, tags and releases dolphin-fish (also known as mahi-mahi), says those Florida natives are being hooked in some unusual places.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 05:30 PM
Ample evidence Florida's feeling
Ample evidence Florida's feeling effects of climate change (The Palm Beach Post)
Maybe the fish are on to something. Don Hammond, who catches, tags and releases dolphin-fish (also known as mahi-mahi), says those Florida natives are being hooked in some unusual places.
Florida hurricane catastrophe fund under scrutiny (Miami Herald)
The two rating agencies that track Florida-based insurers are closely monitoring the state's hurricane catastrophe fund over the next few weeks.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 06:50 PM
HURRICANE! -- The Ultimate
HURRICANE! -- The Ultimate Storm (GlobeNewswire via Yahoo! Finance)
DAVIE, Fla., March 27, 2009 -- An exhilarating book that will surely put you on the edge of your seat, HURRICANE is a must read for everyone. Author Arnaldo Ricciulli takes you on an exciting adventure of two people weathering the storm--literally!
Ample evidence Florida's feeling effects of climate change (The Palm Beach Post)
Maybe the fish are on to something. Don Hammond, who catches, tags and releases dolphin-fish (also known as mahi-mahi), says those Florida natives are being hooked in some unusual places.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 11:30 PM
HURRICANE! -- The Ultimate
HURRICANE! -- The Ultimate Storm (GlobeNewswire via Yahoo! Finance)
DAVIE, Fla., March 27, 2009 -- An exhilarating book that will surely put you on the edge of your seat, HURRICANE is a must read for everyone. Author Arnaldo Ricciulli takes you on an exciting adventure of two people weathering the storm--literally!
Florida attorney general goes on offense about name-building ads (Miami Herald)
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum upped the financial and political stakes of his campaign against Internet sex crime, urging Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink Thursday to greenlight another $975,000 in television spots under a no-bid contract with his former campaign consultant.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 12:20 AM
Gardening: Act now to
Gardening: Act now to reduce hurricane, wildfire damage (The News-Press)
Don't wait until hectic time during emergency
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 01:30 AM
Florida: Drywall has material
Florida: Drywall has material that can emit corrosive gas (CNN)
Strontium sulfide, a material that can emit corrosive gases in moist air, was found at trace levels in testing of Chinese-made drywall, the Florida Department of Health said.
U.S. Senator worries Florida could not pay off insurance claims if a big hurricane hits (WTVY Dothan)
Sen. Nelson looking for reassurances from the feds
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 04:00 AM
U.S. Senator worries Florida
U.S. Senator worries Florida could not pay off insurance claims if a big hurricane hits (WTVY Dothan)
Sen. Nelson looking for reassurances from the feds
Florida: Drywall has material that can emit corrosive gas (CNN)
Strontium sulfide, a material that can emit corrosive gases in moist air, was found at trace levels in testing of Chinese-made drywall, the Florida Department of Health said.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 08:15 AM
Senator Nelson Asks Washington
Senator Nelson Asks Washington For Cat Fund Help (WCTV Tallahassee)
US Senator Bill Nelson is asking private investors to help rebuild Florida if a major hurricane strikes the coast.
Consumer group says gas facility is crucial (The Palm Beach Post)
Hurricane-prone Florida has no natural-gas storage plants - but it needs them to avoid "a crippling supply disruption that could plunge the entire peninsula into darkness," a consumer advocacy group warned in a report released Monday.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 12:55 PM
UM's long jumpers excel
UM's long jumpers excel (Miami Herald)
The University of Miami concluded the three-day Hurricane Invitational with impressive performances by its long jumpers Saturday at Cobb Stadium.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 04:05 PM
People's Trust Insurance draws
People's Trust Insurance draws state scrutiny (Miami Herald)
Ken Eastment, a homeowner in South Miami-Dade, checked out homeowners insurance rates with People's Trust Insurance, which promised as much as 70 percent savings compared with what other Florida insurers were charging.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 05:45 PM
FEMA Approves Regional Hurricane
FEMA Approves Regional Hurricane Shelter, Clinic For Pasco (The Pasco Tribune)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has given the go-ahead for construction to begin on a regional hurricane shelter and health care clinic that will be built in Arthur F. Engle Memorial Park. FEMA sent an approval letter Wednesday to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the office of state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, reported.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 09:10 PM
FEMA Approves Regional Hurricane
FEMA Approves Regional Hurricane Shelter, Clinic For Pasco (The Pasco Tribune)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has given the go-ahead for construction to begin on a regional hurricane shelter and health care clinic that will be built in Arthur F. Engle Memorial Park. FEMA sent an approval letter Wednesday to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the office of state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, reported.
Obama's FEMA Director Brings Hurricane Experience from Florida (Insurance Journal)
Florida emergency manager Craig Fugate would bring a lot with him if he takes over the Federal Emergency Management Agency: plenty of hurricane experience, a blunt style, and a belief that ...
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 10:55 PM
NIT: Florida advances, Va.
NIT: Florida advances, Va. Tech wins in two OTs (Sports Illustrated)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Nick Calathes broke out of a shooting slump with 19 points, Chandler Parsons added 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Florida beat Jacksonville 84-62 Wednesday night in the opening round of the NIT.
Florida investigates smelly drywall claims (UPI)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., March 18 (UPI) -- Florida health officials say they are getting more complaints from residents who suspect the drywall in their homes is giving off dangerous fumes.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 11:40 PM
Florida Hurricane Survivors to
Florida Hurricane Survivors to Help in New Orleans at ELCA Youth Gathering (Worldwide Faith News)
Title: Florida Hurricane Survivors to Help in New Orleans at ELCA Youth Gathering ELCA NEWS SERVICE >March 18, 2009 Florida Hurricane Survivors to Help in New Orleans at ELCA Youth Gathering 09-066-SH CHICAGO (ELCA) - When Liz Kourtesis of Florida heard that 37,000 Lutherans -- mostly teens -- were heading to New Orleans this summer to help hurricane survivors, she raced to add her name to the ...
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 04:35 AM
Citizens' reassessments hit some
Citizens' reassessments hit some South Florida homeowners hard (TCPalm.com)
Walter Baker is reeling from sticker shock: The insured value of his Lake Worth home has nearly tripled to $300,000, a jump that increased his windstorm insurance premium with Citizens Property Insurance Corp. from $1,300 to $3,000.
Florida lawmakers asked to be smarter on hurricane insurance (The News-Press)
Florida lawmakers need to make some smart decisions on reducing the risk for Florida property owners from hurricane damage, the state's chief...
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 08:25 AM
Americas Watchdog Warns Florida
Americas Watchdog Warns Florida & Virginia Homeowners About A Quick Fix For Toxic Chinese Drywall & WarnsThe Gloves ... (PRWeb)
Americas Watchdog & Its Homeowners Consumer Center have been the leaders in a national, and state by state investigation of toxic Chinese drywall in Florida, Virginia and numerous other US states. Americas Watchdog is now warning homeowners in Florida, Virginia and other states; "do not accept a homebuilders offer to re-drywall their home, until we have had a chance to see if the toxic gasses ...
Captivans attend program, ready for hurricane season (CaptivaSanibel.com)
Last Friday, Captivans attended a special hurricane preparedness program at the Captiva Civic Association meeting room, listening to speakers explain how to be ready in the event of a storm and how to be prepared should an evacuation be necessary.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 11:45 AM
Geoff Oldfather: Hunker down
Geoff Oldfather: Hunker down for heightened hurricane hype (Stuart News)
Nail on the plywood shutters and get ready for more hurricane hype. Forecasts may soon resemble movie trailers from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, thanks to a National Weather Service report.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 01:55 PM
Florida's CFO asks lawmakers
Florida's CFO asks lawmakers to reduce storm risks (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
Florida lawmakers need to make some smart decisions on reducing the risk for Florida property owners from hurricane damage, the state's chief financial officer said Thursday.
Florida CFO Sink: 4 Steps to Reduce State's Hurricane Exposure (Insurance Journal)
Citing the high level of catastrophic risk exposure Florida faces, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink today suggested guidelines for the Legislature to follow in working to reduce the state's ...
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 04:55 PM
CFO Sink recommends steps
CFO Sink recommends steps to reduce hurricane risk (Business Journal of Tampa Bay)
Alex Sink, Florida s chief financial officer, is advising state legislators to implement gradual steps to reduce hurricane risk and protect homeowners
National Hurricane Center forecasters to get help from team leader (Sun-Sentinel)
Team leader position will add layer of expertise at storm center The elite forecasters at the National Hurricane Center will have an extra set of eyes to help develop more accurate storm predictions this year: their new boss.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 07:40 PM
Floridian will bring hurricane
Floridian will bring hurricane experience, and more, to FEMA (Sun-Sentinel)
Craig Fugate is called "absolutely the right person for this job." Florida emergency manager Craig Fugate would bring a lot with him if he takes over the Federal Emergency Management Agency: plenty of hurricane experience, a blunt style, and a belief that preparation begins on the local level.
Florida's CFO asks lawmakers to reduce storm risks (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
Florida lawmakers need to make some smart decisions on reducing the risk for Florida property owners from hurricane damage, the state's chief financial officer said Thursday.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 08:25 PM
Florida Officials Searching For
Florida Officials Searching For Ways to Back Up Hurricane Fund (Insurance Journal)
The state board that oversees the fund designed to pay homeowner claims in the event of a catastrophic hurricane searched this week for ways to reduce its risk with hurricane season only months ...
Florida lawmakers asked to be smarter on hurricane insurance (The News-Press)
Florida lawmakers need to make some smart decisions on reducing the risk for Florida property owners from hurricane damage, the state's chief...
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 12:05 AM
Citizens Property Insurance to
Citizens Property Insurance to sell $2.5 billion of bonds (Miami Herald)
Florida's state-run property insurer plans to begin selling $2.5 billion of bonds next month to raise funds for claims from the coming hurricane season.
State: U.S. should back hurricane fund (The Florida Times-Union)
TALLAHASSEE - The federal government can, should and likely will provide the backing the state needs to make sure the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund could pay claims in the event a major storm hits this year, Gov. Charlie Crist and others said Tuesday. read more
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 03:30 AM
Hurricane Fund Answers Sought
Hurricane Fund Answers Sought in Case Big One Hits (The Lakeland Ledger)
By LLOYD DUNKELBERGERLEDGER TALLAHASSEE BUREAUTALLAHASSEE | With Florida's hurricane season looming, Gov. Charlie Crist and other state officials are still scrambling to find a way to shore up the state hurricane catastrophe fund, which could come up billions of dollars short if a big storm hits this year.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 06:15 AM
Gladys Chern glimpsed beauty
Gladys Chern glimpsed beauty in battered hammock, rescued it (Miami Herald)
A small piece of Florida hammock near the Redland sat untended for many years. Battered by Hurricane Andrew, it was disfigured by tossed trees and a tangle of jasmine, wood rose and air potato -- three of the meanest invasive exotic plants that would challenge the most skilled professional forester.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 06:50 AM
Credit woes could increase
Credit woes could increase Florida hurricane insurance rates (Punta Gorda Herald)
TALLAHASSEE (AP) Florida's insurance commissioner says the national credit crunch could lead to higher hurricane coverage premiums and more home foreclosures.
Need for Salvation Army services increasing (Galveston County Daily News)
The Texas City Salvation Army office has seen a dramatic increase in need for rent, utilities and food aid since Hurricane Ike.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 10:00 AM
State Farm appealing Florida
State Farm appealing Florida withdrawal order (The Pantagraph)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- State Farm Florida on Friday appealed stipulations that Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has put on its plan to withdraw from the state's property insurance market because of the high risk of hurricanes.
Obama names Florida emergency boss as FEMA chief (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
President Barack Obama picked Craig Fugate, the top emergency response official in Florida, on Wednesday to head the federal agency that was widely panned for its response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 12:40 PM
Americas Watchdog Calls Sulphur
Americas Watchdog Calls Sulphur Smelling Chinese Drywall A Storm In Florida That's About Turn Into A National Hurricane (PRWeb)
Americas Watchdog and its Homeowners Consumer Center are saying the Chinese drywall disaster in Florida is about to become a national disaster. According to the group, "the Chinese drywall used in US new home construction from 2003 to 2007 is about to become a biblical type disaster, for US homeowners unfortunate enough to have this building product in their new home, or condominium. If it's ...
FEMA nominee Fugate to the Florida Keys: Stay vigilant with hurricane preparedness (Florida Keys Keynoter)
The next director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told the Keynoter on Wednesday to continue carrying his message of hurricane awareness to Keys residents.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 02:30 PM
Florida manager tapped for
Florida manager tapped for FEMA (Honolulu Advertiser)
President Obama will nominate Florida emergency manager W. Craig Fugate to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, asking one of the nation's most experienced hurricane hands to direct the much-criticized U.S. disaster-response arm, the White House announced yesterday.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 04:10 PM
Florida official Obama's pick
Florida official Obama's pick to lead FEMA (Chicago Tribune)
WASHINGTON President Obama will nominate the head of Florida's emergency management office to lead FEMA, a post that came under national scrutiny in 2005 over what many said was the inept response to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 09:00 PM
Florida emergency chief to
Florida emergency chief to head FEMA: Obama (AFP via Yahoo! News)
President Barack Obama has chosen the head of emergency operations in hurricane-prone Florida to lead FEMA, the federal agency tasked with responding to domestic disasters, the White House said Wednesday.
Florida plan would shift hurricane insurance coverage to state (Miami Herald)
A group of leading state legislators is considering a dramatic way to try to fix Florida's property insurance market: Have the state cover the hurricane portion of virtually all homeowner policies statewide.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 11:50 PM
Florida insurance regulators grapple
Florida insurance regulators grapple with hurricane coverage (BizJournals)
JACKSONVILLE Insurance companies and lawmakers are torn betwen two conflicting goals: forcing lower property insurance rates during a recession to help strapped homeowners or raise rates so insurers will be sound when a hurricane hits.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 04:05 AM
Environmental group gives Florida
Environmental group gives Florida C on coastal protection (Naples Daily News)
Florida has led the nation in climate change focus, but needs to coordinate its coastal and ocean oversight and redouble efforts to prevent offshore drilling, a coalition of environmental groups urged Monday in a critique of recent state initiatives. Meeting with reporters, representatives from the environmental groups outlined a series of improvements still needed to protect the coastal ...
Americas Watchdog Wants to Hear From Homeowners in Florida, & All U.S. States Who Have Potentially Toxic Chinese Drywall (PRWeb)
Americas Watchdog & its Homeowners Consumer Center have been leading a national investigation, and a state by state investigation into what could be extremely toxic Chinese drywall in new homes, built after 2001, in Florida. Virginia, California, Arizona, Nevada, Louisiana, New Jersey Texas and all other U.S. States. According to the Homeowners Consumer Center, "the potentially toxic Chinese ...
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 06:45 AM
Central Florida Law Firm
Central Florida Law Firm Wins a Whopping $20 Million Hurricane Trial Against Insurance Giant QBE (HispanicBusiness.com)
No Related Stories at this time! ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Katzman Garfinkel Rosenbaum won a $20 million verdict against QBE Insurance Company in Miami on February 13, 2009. Two weeks of testimony in Federal court resulted in the largest verdict ever against QBE for hurricane damage.
Financing Florida's CAT Fund (WTSP-TV Tampa)
Some of Florida's top politicians are trying to prevent the State of Florida from going bankrupt and they want to make sure your claims get paid if a hurricane strikes.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 11:05 AM
Florida plan would shift
Florida plan would shift hurricane insurance coverage to state (Miami Herald)
A group of leading state legislators is considering a dramatic way to try to fix Florida's property insurance market: Have the state cover the hurricane portion of virtually all homeowner policies statewide.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson wants federal aid for Florida in event of natural catastrophe (TCPalm.com)
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., is asking federal lawmakers to cover Florida from the financial risk of a natural catastrophe as the state struggles to provide its own coverage.
Posted by PCA Public Adjusters at 02:15 PM
