ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Apopka homeowner is fighting to get answered calls from his home insurance company after his roof was torn off by strong winds during Hurricane Helene.
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“Heard what sounded like a freight train. The next thing we know looking out the window there are parts of the roof flying off,” said Lynn.
Lynn said he’s been constantly calling his insurance company since the roof was ripped off the home around 7:30 pm but has not heard back.
Read: Channel 9 brings you closer to Hurricane Helene’s impact across Florida
“I thank God that none of us in my family was hurt,” said Fred Lynn, homeowner.
Lynn said he’s lived in his home for over 50 years and has never had damage from a storm, tornado, or past hurricanes until Hurricane Helene’s wind damage.
WFTV walked through Lynn’s front and backyard to scope out the damage and debris and noticed that Lynn’s home was the only one in the neighborhood that was hit.
Read: AAA offers safety and insurance tips to help those who suffered damage from Helene
Insurance experts said during hurricane season insurance, CTA’s are on standby for calls of damage from homeowners, and the first thing a homeowner should do if damage occurs is call and electronically reach out to insurers,
“The fastest thing to do is to file your claim online or electronically, your homeowners policy will have either an 800 number, or you should call,” said Thomas Cotton, President of Hugh Cotton Insurance.
According to Citizen’s Insurance, Florida’s largest insurer, it expects the first two days post-Helene to be slow with damage call-ins.
“What people are finding out now is what sort of wind deductibles they have they are finding out now if they don’t have a flood insurance policy, they don’t have insurance for a flood,” said Cotton.
Read: Helene aftermath: Waste collection services resume in these counties
With the state’s insurance crisis after past hurricanes ravaging the state and legal battles raging over roof damage, homeowners across the state have been feeling the pinch of rising insurance premiums, and now they face the challenges of getting reimbursed for damages.
“Florida’s homeowner’s market is largely domestic. Most of our carriers are Florida-only carriers,” said Cotton.
The hesitation in contact now adds to the stress of recovering from the storm’s destruction. Thanks to a local roofing company and neighbors, until he gets the call for an adjuster to view the damage, he’s now forced to place several large tarps on his roof.
Lynn said that since he called early and is still waiting in limbo, he fears the wait for help will only get longer for people who have not called their insurance companies over the damage.
“I think that this should not be this difficult to get something done,” said Lynn.
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