4340 (DR-4340)

Hurricane Maria (DR-4339)

Hurricane Irma aftermath: Floridians without flood insurance face astronomical bills  USA TODAYFlorida Keys residents focus on rebuilding after Hurricane Irma  Local 10After Irma, inmate is hurt leaping from van and teen is arrested for having flashlight  Miami HeraldFull coverage

Miami Dolphins Visit Red Cross Shelter to Assist with Hurricane Irma Relief Efforts  MiamiDolphinsCollapsed crane in Miami became a sight to see after Hurricane Irma  Sun SentinelHours After Hurricane Irma, Miami-Dade County Tickets Residents For Code Violations  Reason (blog)Full coverage

Struggling After Irma, Islanders Lament 'Potentially Catastrophic' Hurricane Maria  NBCNews.comStill recovering from Irma, Puerto Rico braces for Hurricane Maria  CNBCPuerto Rico Braces for 'Potentially Catastrophic' Hit by Hurricane Maria  New York TimesPuerto Rico governor: Still time to get to shelters before Hurricane Maria  CNNHurricane Harvey, Irma, Jose and now Maria. Americans brace for new danger  The San Diego Union-TribuneFull coverage

Tenants of public housing evacuated because of Hurricane Irma now live in the parking lot  Miami HeraldPublic housing tenants trapped in parking lot after Hurricane Irma  Local 10Full coverage

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused widespread flooding in Texas, Louisiana, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Florida, and the southeast United States. Due to the catastrophic impacts of these hurricanes and the increased demand for flood insurance adjusters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is increasing the amount it will pay to adjust flood insurance claims. The entire insurance industry is searching for qualified individuals to join the ranks of claims adjusters to handle losses from Harvey, Irma, and future events. FEMA recognizes the specialized knowledge required to properly adjust NFIP losses. Adjusters must know the differences between the Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) and private industry property...

Collapsed crane in Miami became a sight to see after Hurricane Irma  Sun SentinelHours After Hurricane Irma, Miami-Dade County Tickets Residents For Code Violations  Reason (blog)Full coverage

Florida Keys residents focus on rebuilding after Hurricane Irma  Local 10After Irma, inmate is hurt leaping from van and teen is arrested for having flashlight  Miami Herald'It's All Very Grim': Hurricane Irma Leaves Behind a Broken Paradise in the Florida Keys  Motherboard en_usHurricane Irma challenges Florida grocery pipeline  Orlando SentinelFull coverage

Hurricane Irma Has Left the Caribbean Brown and Barren  Atlas ObscuraIn wake of Hurricane Irma, UN launches $55 million plan to assist Cubans in need  UN News CentreBoris Johnson calls for greater cooperation in wake of Hurricane Irma  The GuardianFull coverage

Hurricane Irma debris piles could be around for months  Sun SentinelRoadside collection for Hurricane Irma debris underway, slowly  TCPalmFull coverage

ComEd sends 750 workers to Florida to aid in Hurricane Irma recovery  Chicago TribuneAfter Hurricane Irma: Lawsuit filed against FPL over power outages  Palm Beach PostMiami Residents to File Class-Action Suit Against FPL for Allegedly Inadequate Irma Preparation  Miami New TimesFull coverage

USF leader resigns after fleeing Hurricane Irma  Orlando SentinelUniversity of South Florida St. Petersburg Official Resigns After Fleeing Campus Ahead of Irma  NBCNews.comHead of USF St. Pete resigns over Hurricane Irma evacuation  WFLAFull coverage

Maria Follows On The Heels Of Hurricane Irma  NPRHurricane Jose ambles off US coast as new Tropical Storm Maria tracks Irma's early path  USA TODAYFull coverage

4338 (DR-4338)

After Irma, Florida residents are lacking in many necessities. One of the more frustrating is the paucity of insurance adjusters, which is threatening to anger policyholders and potentially delay the state’s rebuilding efforts. Many of the state’s adjusters are 1,000 miles away, working on claims made after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. Insurers are scrambling to get more adjusters to Florida, creating a bidding war for those who are available. Some Florida home insurers have increased fees paid to adjusters by about 30%, insurers and adjusters say.   source: Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

(Reuters) - Insurers are scrambling to find inspectors in Texas and Florida after fierce hurricanes battered the states one after the other, causing tens of billions of dollars' worth of property damage in less than two weeks.

Although insurers maintain some number of inspectors, known as claims adjusters, across the U.S. year-round, they must redeploy staff from other areas or hire contract workers to fill gaps when catastrophes like Hurricanes Harvey and Irma strike. The speed with which they can do so is critical to residents and business owners awaiting insurance payments.

Hurricane Irma (DR-4337)

Puerto Rico Hurricane Irma (DR-4336)

Expecting Hurricane Irma to generate 100,000 claims, Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s governing board on Wednesday suspended normal contracting procedures so the company can pay more to hire additional claims adjusters.

With Irma projected to make landfall in South Florida sometime Sunday, Citizens is concerned about its ability to compete with private insurers here and in Texas for independent adjusters.

The company expects to begin deploying adjusters to evaluate Irma claims in Florida beginning Wednesday.