Florida’s agriculture commissioner said Monday that the path of Hurricane Irma “could not have been more lethal” to the state’s farmers and that the scope of damage to the state’s fruits and vegetables is unprecedented.
It’s hurricane season. Brace for rip-offs. Following Hurricane Matthew last year, Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office drew more than 3,100 complaints of price gouging, resulting in 21 investigations and four lawsuits. As the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season opened Thursday, Bondi referred Floridians to her 2017 Hurricane Preparedness Guide. It’s a primer, containing easy-to-use checklists and definitions of terms — plus warnings against scams of every color. Like tree-removal scams, building repair scams, debris-removal scams, disaster relief scams and water testing…
Hurricane season begins Thursday. Are you covered? Are you sure? Better take a look at your policy, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater advised Tuesday. “For a better chance of a complication-free claims process, Floridians should carefully review all insurance policies to ensure that proper coverage is in place for their home, car, and belongings,” Atwater’s office said in a press release. “Common reasons for complications include a lack of adequate insurance coverage and insufficient documentation or proof of damage,” the…
The Florida Retail Federation has issued a reminder that the new disaster preparedness sales-tax holiday begins this week. Right in time for hurricane season, the state will waive sales taxes on purchases of emergency supplies starting at 12:01 p.m. Friday, ending at 11:59 p.m. Sunday. “Thanks to our legislative leaders and Gov. Scott for including the disaster preparedness sales-tax holiday in the budget, especially with Florida coming off of a year with hurricanes, tornadoes and floods,” federation president and CEO R.…
The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be more active than normal, with five to nine hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts 11 to 17 named tropical storms will develop in the region, which includes the Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, the agency announced Thursday. NOAA predicted that five to nine could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including 2 to 4 major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher. Hurricane…
