Pennsylvania Man Admits Defrauding FEMA Relating To Major Disaster

Would drone images of Stuart, Port St. Lucie or Vero Beach look like what’s left of Mexico Beach? Michael was the most powerful storm in recorded history to hit the Panhandle. That, wrote TCPalm columnist Larry Reisman, was bad news for the 145,000 homes in Michael’s path– three-fourths of all residences in the nine Panhandle counties hit hardest– which were built…

While the human toll of Hurricane Michael is still being tallied, the environmental impact from the monster storm is expected to ripple across the the Panhandle, and the entire state might see fallout from the storm for years to come. “I think the impact from Hurricane Michael is still unknown at this point,” Kelly Richmond, a spokeswoman for Florida Fish and…

The $3 billion in federal relief money the city already received from the National Flood Insurance Program, FEMA individual assistance and loans from the Small Business Administration mostly went to wealthier neighborhoods, according to the report. There’s another $1.17 billion in housing relief coming from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban…

Classes will resume Monday at Florida State’s sprawling, 40,000- student campus in Tallahassee and several other area universities. In the Bay County communities of Panama City and Mexico Beach, where the strongest hurricane to hit the Panhandle since record keeping began slammed onto the coast four days earlier, search-and-rescue crews accompanied by…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- It was once argued that the trees would help save Florida’s Panhandle from the fury of a hurricane, as the acres of forests in the region would provide a natural barrier to savage winds that accompany the deadly storms. “We’re learning painfully that we shouldn’t be doing those kinds of exemptions,” said Don Brown, a former legislator from the…

“We urge people to take this dangerous hurricane very seriously and make their final storm preparations now,” said Brad Kieserman, Vice President of Disaster Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross. “The Red Cross is working closely with state and local authorities in Florida, Alabama and Georgia to support evacuation centers for as many as 30,000 people who…

Florida officials have evacuated nearly 3,000 inmates after two prisons were damaged during Hurricane Michael. The Department of Corrections said Saturday that the facilities sustained significant roof damage, as well as damage to infrastructure critical for security.

For people without a lot of money, the destruction caused by Hurricane Michael on the Florida Panhandle is especially devastating. Seventy-two-year-old Mary Frances Parrish is expecting to be without electricity for two months, or roughly the same time the terminally ill son she’s caring for is expected to live.

Springfield, Fla.— Entire oceanfront communities in the Florida Panhandle were virtually obliterated, an Air Force base suffered“ catastrophic” damage and at least six people were killed by Hurricane Michael, a sucker-punch of a storm that intensified suddenly and now ranks as one of the four most powerful hurricanes ever to strike the United States.

So far six people have been reported killed as Michael, downgraded to a tropical storm, raced across the Carolinas toward Virginia, a day after hitting the Florida panhandle Wednesday morning as a Category 4 hurricane with wind speeds of up to 155 mph. President Trump described the hurricane as “unbelievably destructive and powerful,” contrasting it with last…

—Tropical Storm Michael has sped off toward the Atlantic Ocean, but there will be nothing quick about Florida’s recovery from the hurricane, where rows upon rows of homes have been smashed to pieces. —Storm riders: Roughly 375,000 people in Florida warned to evacuate; many refused, including 285 people in Mexico Beach where Michael made landfall.

October is National Crime Prevention month and State Farm wants consumers to be aware of how to help prevent home thefts, understand where they happen, and how we’re here to help first responders. In 2017, State Farm reported 74,676 home theft claims with an average of 6,223 claims per month. 6. North Carolina 2,372 claims.

Hurricane Michael has slammed into the Florida Panhandle, leaving widespread destruction and at least one death before downgrading and continuing its charge across the U.S. Southeast. Downgraded to a tropical storm over south Georgia early Thursday, it was weakening by the hour. Authorities reported at least one death Wednesday of a man killed by a falling tree and said search and rescue teams would be checking amid the storm debris for anyone still trapped or injured.

The FDIC encourages depository institutions to consider all reasonable and prudent steps to assist customers in communities affected by recent storms. The FDIC realizes that although the effects of natural disasters on local businesses and individuals can be devastating, they often are transitory. Statement of Applicability to Institutions Under $1…

Roy Cooper on Wednesday put a price tag on what it will take to at least partially recover from Hurricane Florence, even as a second hurricane threatens North Carolina with more rain and flooding. The governor released what he said is an early estimate of the damage– $13 billion– and presented a $1.5 billion wish list for recovery funding at a news conference in…

Residents are bracing Wednesday for what could be a very dangerous storm in Hurricane Michael, and utility workers are getting ready for potential large-scale power outages in northwest Florida. Floridians in Bay County have been ordered to shelter in place and stay off the roads ahead of the Category 4 storm. “The time for evacuating along the coast has come…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the following news release:. Following President Trump’s emergency declaration for Florida, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar today declared a public health emergency in the state as Hurricane Michael makes landfall. In addition, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and…

The Georgia Department of Revenue issued the following news release:. The Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Revenue, pursuant to the powers granted by law, is temporarily suspending the requirements associated with the Georgia International Registration Plan and the International Fuel Tax Agreement trip and fuel permits for vehicles providing…

The third quarter 2018 composite rate for personal lines in the United States held steady at an increase of 2…

In the United States, the composite rate in the third quarter 2018 continued to be up 2.5 percent, matching the…

OAKLAND, Calif. (October 1, 2018)—DriversEd.com—the leading online driving school—today released its 2018 Distracted Driving in America Report. An inaugural initiative,…

Ever since Hurricane Florence smashed into the Carolinas, everyone has been trying to return to normal as quickly as possible. Residents have sought assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, state Division of Employment Security and many other agencies.

Delta says it lost $30 million on Hurricane Florence, and higher fuel prices are also weighing on the airline. Delta didn’t say how many of its flights were canceled, but the hurricane caused at least 3,500 cancellations across the airline industry, mostly in the Carolinas. The Atlanta-based airline says a key revenue measurement is rising, helping to partially offset higher spot prices for jet fuel.

Insurers could be facing another third quarter of costly casualty losses in the wake of Hurricane Florence lashing North Carolina and the surrounding region. “Given the timing of Hurricane Florence, any potential downward revisions to earnings estimates for companies in the insurance industry may not occur until late September or early October,” wrote John…

–From Atlantic hurricanes and California wildfires to drought in Europe, extreme weather-related events made 2017 one of the most costly on record for the global insurance industry, but insurers’ capacity to meet their losses continues to grow. Quotes“ The bad news for insurers is clear: 2017 was one of the worst years for insured losses on record,” said Rohan Dixon,…

The U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command issued the following news:. A proper claimant is an active duty member, a reservist on active duty, or a civilian employee of the Department of Navy or USMC. Claims packets for filing your claim with the Navy can be found on-line at http://www.jag.navy.mil.

Sept. 13– A powerful hurricane is bearing down on the East Coast and a storm is churning away in the Gulf of Mexico. Even as hurricane season has once again hit full stride, though, the U.S. Congress has failed to take any substantive action to reform and protect the National Flood Insurance Program. Congress could make the banks and mortgage companies that write…

ARLINGTON, VA, September 10, 2018 — Commercial insurance prices in the U.S. increased by nearly 3% during the second quarter…

Sept. 04– As Tropical Storm Gordon washed out South Florida’s Labor Day celebrations, the Gulf coasts of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana braced for a possible hurricane as government leaders warned residents to prepare for heavy rain and flooding. “This is not going to be Hurricane Katrina, but it is still a very dangerous storm that we need to be very aware of,”…

Spain and his wife Deanna, a Waiakea Elementary School teacher, lived in their home for 13 years before it was flooded by the tropical cyclone, which dropped about 50 inches of rain in some areas of East Hawaii. Spain has a homeowner’s policy with American Reliable Insurance Co. with a hurricane rider, but said he was told since the home wasn’t damaged by the…

The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America issued the following news release:. The torrential rain associated with Hurricane Lane created dangerous flood conditions and if residents have storm damage they should contact their insurer immediately to get the recovery process started, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association…

The Allstate Corporation has agreed to acquire InfoArmor, Inc., a leading provider of employee identity protection to more than 1 million employees and their family members at over 1,400 firms, including more than 100 of the Fortune 500 companies. With the acquisition of InfoArmor, Allstate will protect more customers from this risk and help rebuild their…

HARTFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Hartford has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding common shares of The Navigators Group, Inc….

Aug. 18– California state lawmakers are ending efforts to reduce PG&E’s legal liability for wildfires, rejecting Gov. Bill Dodd, D- Napa, said the Legislature is shifting focus to proposals that would improve forest health and address actions utilities must take to prevent fires. Top PG&E executives repeatedly called California’s “strict liability” standard an…

An Overland Park, Kansas, official admits he was mistaken about who paid for a $132,000 sculpture at the city’s community center that was damaged by a young boy. City spokesman Sean Reilly said in July that the insurance company for the family of a 5-year-old boy who damaged the sculpture paid for the damages. The Kansas City Star reports Reilly said Tuesday he misunderstood. He said the city’s insurance company paid the city $107,000 for damages to the sculpture.

AUSTIN, Texas-Residents in hurricane-prone states are not taking necessary steps to protect their property this hurricane season despite the severity…

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that it expects to award up to 200 discretionary grants for flood mitigation assistance. The funding is open to state governments; Native American tribal governments; District of Columbia; and U.S. territories. FEMA will seek to fund two types of community flood…

Top 10 South Carolina counties with flood insurance policies and total coverage in 2017:. Charleston- 67,829; $18.9 billion Beaufort- 51,692; $14.3 billion Horry- 46,577; $9.7 billion Georgetown- 8,457; $2.4 billion Berkeley- 7,493; $2 billion Dorchester- 3,507; $932 million Richland- 2,844; $656 million Colleton- 2944; $531 million Lexington- 1,429; $324 million…

A seventh person died in a fire in northern California on Saturday. The Carr fire, burning about 162 miles north of Sacramento, killed a power company lineman, according to a CBS affiliate. President Trump has declared that a major disaster exists in California, paving the way for federal money and aid. “

  “Rule setting is an important part of helping your teen gain independence, make good decisions and stay safe,” said…

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 2, 2018/ PRNewswire-iReach/– Insuranceautoquote.info has released a new blog post that explains how insurance companies evaluate clients and determine premiums. Check our website and compare car insurance quotes online! When determining insurance costs, agencies analyze a multitude of factors.

For the first time, FEMA has secured reinsurance directly backed by capital markets investors, continuing efforts to better manage the program’s financial risk. FEMA enters into a three-year reinsurance agreement, effective August 1, 2018, with Hannover Re Designated Activity Company, a reinsurance company. Under the August 2018 reinsurance agreement,…

After Hurricane Harvey’s devastating and widespread flooding last year, many Texans decided it was time to buy flood insurance. Flood insurance policies in Texas jumped by 18 percent following Harvey last August. The boost helped turn around the state’s long-term trend of declining policies. It’s unclear if this boost of policies in Texas will be sustained over the long-term. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it’s focused on increasing insurance coverage.

The American Action Forum issued the following news release:. With the National Flood Insurance Program expiring next Tuesday, Congress is struggling to reauthorize it in time, let alone provide much needed reforms. The NFIP’s financial situation is poor–it is $20 billion in debt to the American taxpayer, even after Congress forgave $16 billion in debt late…

July 23– Keeping up with property insurance coverage in hurricane-prone Florida can be tricky, to say the least. To help sort things out as summer and the storm season heats up, we spoke with Locke Burt of Ormond Beach- based insurer Security First and Doug Iannarelli of travel club AAA’s insurance division. Q. What do I need?

–Auto insurance has accounted for more of the U.S. property and casualty industry’s premium volume in recent years, with several rounds of loss-fueled rate increases accelerating premium volumes in the short term, accordingly to S&P Global Market Intelligence’s 2018 US Auto Insurance Market Report. Tim Zawacki, Senior Insurance Research Analyst at S&P…