Hurricane insurance claims in Florida exceed $5 billion after storms Helene and Milton

Hurricane insurance claims in Florida have exceeded $5 billion following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Helene, a Category 4 storm, caused $1.99 billion in claims, while Milton, a Category 5 hurricane, led to $3.17 billion in claims. The number of denied claims has surpassed 100,000, a significant increase from 37,000 at the end of October. Most denied claims for Milton were closed without payment due to various reasons, including insufficient information and damage below deductibles. Agricultural losses are also substantial, with estimates of $40 million in damage from Helene and between $1.5 and $2.5 billion from Milton. Over 6 million acres were affected by Helene's impact.