'Insurance Village' opening for Helene victims

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — Helene victims looking to file a claim with their insurance company can meet with more than 30 companies participating in an "Insurance Village."

According to officials, this is the start of the rebuilding process for impacted communities.

The event is taking place at the Long Center in Clearwater from Friday through Sunday.

"We had about 3 feet of water in the house. So, basically, we've lost everything on the interior of the house," said Jackie Evans.

Jackie Evans and Henry Livingston lost almost everything to Hurricane Helene. Contents of their home are now spread out onto their yard. On top of all that damage, they also lost a car.

"Just talked to State Farm, they did a really good job explaining to me the coverage and what to look for when I get the estimate," Livingston said.

At this insurance village, they were able to get their questions answered.

"How to file your claim, how to document your losses, and how to even use the company's website," Livingston said.

Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, said when disasters hit, sometimes people do not know where to start.

"You come here; we've got our folks here that will hold your hand through that process. We also have a referral system here on which contractors are reputable to do business with," he said.

The CFO said it's important to know not to sign anything, and that you can come here and get help filing a claim.

"If you have signed a document and you didn't really know what you signed, we're not all attorneys," Patronis said. "If you signed it under duress or pressure, bring the document here, we've got 10 days under Florida law to get you out of any contract assignment."

This is an opportunity to get help for free.

"Having their insurance companies on site really provides a valuable advantage to impacted homeowners, because they have the opportunity to sit down and speak with someone face-to-face, as opposed to trying to navigate through this process via email or phone," said Tasha Carter, Florida's Insurance Consumer Advocate.

If you come to the village, if you can, you need to bring a form of identification, insurance cards or your policy information, pictures or documentation of the loss, and repair estimates.

"I would say anybody who has had any kind of loss could find help here. At least, calm your nerves a little bit, because there are people out there willing to help," Evans said.

The hours for the "Insurance Village," are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday. If you have questions or need help with anything dealing with insurance, the Long Center is the place to go.