TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis is recognizing September as National Preparedness Month (NPM). NPM is recognized each September to promote family, community, and nationwide disaster planning year-round. The 2022 theme is “A Lasting Legacy.” As Invest 98L has a 90% chance of development over the next 5 days, the CFO is urging Floridians to begin preparing for a potential extreme weather event as early as next week.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “The height of the 2022 Hurricane Season is upon us and right now there are multiple storms brewing in the Atlantic that we are monitoring closely; particularly Invest 98L. I am urging Floridians not to wait until the storm begins to approach the state, but to gather hurricane materials and personal essentials before it’s too late. Hurricanes are dangerous and unpredictable and that is why you need to prepare now to protect you and your family and leave “a lasting legacy” of preparedness for future generations to follow. When it comes to disasters, having a plan is vital and our Emergency Preparedness Toolkit is designed to help you prepare a home inventory and organize your financial information to ensure you can recover from a storm quickly. Visit PrepareFL.com for important storm tips and resources.”

Five Disaster Preparedness Tips:

1. Conduct a home inventory. Compile a video home inventory by using your smartphone to walk through your home and narrate what is being recorded including value or replacement costs. Email it to yourself for easy retrieval later.
2. Secure flood insurance coverage. Standard homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. If you live in a flood-prone area, contact your agent about obtaining flood insurance. There are more than 40 insurance carriers writing flood insurance in Florida’s insurance market. Depending on your home’s location, you may qualify to enroll in the federally administered National Flood Insurance Program.
3. Ensure you are adequately covered. The value of your home and possessions may have increased during the past several years, or you may have made improvement or purchased expensive personal items. Review your insurance policy and check your coverage limits.
4. Consider additional living expense coverage. Additional living expense features of most homeowners’ policies pay some expenses for losses that leave homes unlivable during repairs. Such expenses could include limited motel, restaurant and storage costs.
5. Do not wait until a storm approaches. Property insurance companies do not accept new applications or requests to increase coverage once a hurricane nears Florida, so it is important not to wait until a storm is imminent to verify coverages. In addition, most flood insurance policies take 30 days to go into effect, so it is vital to act now.

For additional hurricane financial preparedness tips or resources, visit PrepareFL.com.

###

About CFO Jimmy Patronis  
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected official and a member of Florida’s Cabinet who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and Twitter (@FLDFS).

###

About CFO Jimmy Patronis 
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected official and a member of Florida’s Cabinet who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and X (@FLDFS).