Southwest Florida homeowners struggling to rebuild after Hurricane Ian as insurance premiums skyrocket

TAMPA, Fla. - Florida homeowners continue to see jolts in home insurance premiums as more insurers reduce their business or withdraw from the Florida market. 

The Insurance Information Institute estimates the average cost of home insurance across the nation is $1,700 compared to $6,000 in Florida. That’s a 42% hike since last year and a 100% spike over the past three years.

And after paying rising premiums for years, many homeowners in Southwest Florida say they still can't rebuild from Hurricane Ian.

After false promises from her insurance company, Jeannine LaRondes house has still not been fixed.

Jeannine LaRonde can still see chunks of her Englewood home scattered through the woods. She calls it her storm chimes.

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"I don’t know when it will fall down, but it’s my chimes," she shared.  "It bangs together and makes noise when it's windy."

Her home has blasted soffits, and a damaged roof on the outside, and ceilings and drywalls are splattered with water stains and laced with cracks inside.

Pieces of LaRonde's home are scattered throughout her yard.

She said part of the ceiling in her garage caved in before the insurance adjuster showed up.

LaRonde said an insurance adjuster assured her it would be fixed.

"He said I’m going to get everything replaced new. Everything’s going to be new, and I’m going to get it for you, but we’re still waiting" she said. "We have a lot of questions. When are you coming? When will you get the roof done? Roofers are coming to the door, and I can’t give them an answer."

LaRonde noted the collapsed garage ceiling, and a broken window did not show up in the damage report. Her initial post-storm estimate from her company’s adjuster was $33,500 before deductible, depreciation and other limitations. A public adjuster, who charges a percentage fee against the amount paid, put the damage at $119,000, although the company asserts that this estimate includes damage that is not covered under the insured’s policy. 

The insurance company assigned and reassigned the case to different adjusters/supervisors, and although the claim is closed, the company states that they have issued supplemental payments throughout the process. They also state that they are waiting for the customer to submit completed repairs and invoices so that they can pay for recoverable depreciation and code coverage.

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Just down the road from LaRonde’s home, Hope Conklin and her husband and baby had to move in with her parents.

They’re still waiting for insurance to approve repairs to their kitchen after the water damage from Hurricane Ian.

"It’s a long time to be out of your house. They sent us a one-sentence email stating your funds request does not make sense. I email follow-up. I call follow-up. I left voice mails-- all the things and never got a response," she explained.

Saturday at 2:30 p.m., FOX 13 News will air a 30-minute special investigating Florida’s home insurance crisis. We’ll examine claims disputes, the reasons why home insurance premiums are soaring, and explain proposals to bring down our rates. 

This article was updated on July 20, 2023 to add additional details from the insurance company and to clarify the role of a public adjuster.