Florida residents and businesses filed $2 million in damage claims from Hurricane Irma in just one week—but insurance companies say it's just the beginning of the settlements needed to fix what may become the most expensive hurricane season ever.
As of Sunday, more than 335,000 claims had been submitted in Florida totaling $1.9 million, according to the state's Office of Insurance Regulation, but the storm is expected to eventually cost close to $100 billion, which would top the $45 billion in costs from Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
Meanwhile Hurricane Maria treads closer to the state, the latest storm in a season that is already setting records for catastrophic costs, thanks to the devastation of Harvey, Irma, Jose and Katia.
In Florida, the large majority of the initial claims, about 88 percent, were made by residential properties by homeowners. About 10,000 business owners have reported damages from the storm.
Thus far, only 4.5 percent of the claims had been settled.
The claims reported were most prevalent in South Florida and Central Florida, both of which took a lashing from Irma, which peaked with winds of 185 mph and was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.
As bad as Irma was, AccuWeather predicts that Hurricane Harvey's destruction could cost $190 billion, topping damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
If the predictions are accurate, the damage from the 2017 season would more than double the costliest season on record in 2005, when Katrina and three other storms caused more than $143 billion in damage.
Damage from Maria wasn't known as of Tuesday, but the amount of damage could increase significantly.
The storm, currently a Category 5 with 160 mph winds, is making its way through the Caribbean and is expected to devastate Puerto Rico.
It made landfall in Dominica on Monday evening, tearing roofs off houses and bringing heavy rainfall.
The extent of damage to the island isn't clear. Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said he plans to survey the area Wednesday but expects "widespread devastation."
"We will need help, my friend, we will need help of all kinds," he posted on Facebook.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Christal Hayes started at Newsweek in 2017, leaving the Sunshine State for New York City. She was the first reporter ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
