Polk County residents get help from 18 insurance companies, FEMA at Insurance Village in Lakeland

LAKELAND, Fla. - If you need to file an insurance claim or just want that face-to-face interaction with your insurance company, you can have that at the Insurance Village.

Three locations are currently open in Bradenton, Clearwater, and Lakeland.

Shirley Doles said she was home with her daughter when she heard a "BOOM" and then a loud crack.

"All I know is that the tree came down, and I had to jump out the way and run," said Doles.

"It's a miracle they're all safe because when that tree came down, the limbs hit the sofa chair and if it didn't hit the sofa chair, it would've crushed the whole house in," said her sister-in-law, Pastor Dr. Faye Allen.

Doles and many other victims of Hurricane Milton were at the Insurance Village at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland where there were 18 insurance companies to help with claims.

Profile Gorilla is a company that vets service pros like contractors or insurance adjusters.

READ: 'We're at our wit's end': Lakeland community flooded out by Hurricane Milton

"Those individuals have to have licenses and insurance. They have to be background checked. That's the service that we perform for our partners," said CEO, Edward Baldwin.

Plus, FEMA and the State of Florida Department of Financial Services were there too.

"That's really the goal is to try to help people begin the recovery process but they also, in many cases, can walk out here with a check," said Greg Thomas, Division Director of Florida Dept. of Financial Services. "A homeowner's insurance policy generally has a coverage called 'Additional Living Expense' that may help you stay elsewhere temporarily."

"We need some housing, you know," said Doles.

Doles got the tree cut down, and now she's just waiting to hear from the adjusters. It's her first time going through this terrifying ordeal, and she hopes it will be the last.

READ: Man accused of tying up dog to pole on I-75 ahead of Hurricane Milton charged: ‘They will face the music’

"We [my daughter and I] were just talking about going to a shelter, and we said, No. I think we'll be okay. Never again. I'm out," said Doles.

A fourth location will open at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City on Wednesday, Oct. 15. The insurance villages will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will remain open so long as there's a need.

Policyholders should bring as much documentation as they can, including:

• A driver’s license or other form of identification (Passport/State issued ID)
• Insurance cards and insurance policy information/documentation
• Pictures or documentation of the property being claimed as a loss resulting from Hurricane Helene
• Repair estimates
• Any additional insurance-related information that is readily accessible

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

• Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
• Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
• Download the SkyTower Radar app
• Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter