Windstorm insurance costs have soared. Floridians, tell us your insurance story

Florida has a windstorm insurance problem. It is shockingly expensive

That was true before Hurricane Ian ravaged Fort Myers and surrounding communities, ruining countless homes, then zipping across the peninsula, turning streets into streams and single-family homes and apartment buildings into islands. It will likely be more true in the future.

Over the years, Florida homeowners have seen premiums soar, often while having their coverage bounce back and forth between Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state-backed insurer of last resort, and private insurers. Multiple windstorm insurers have abandoned the state or become insolvent.

Legislators and others often cite roofer-related fraud schemes in which the need for an expensive roof repair or replacement is falsely blamed on a past storm rather than routine wear and tear. Rather than resist and incur high legal bills, insurers sometimes pay. It raises the cost of insurance for everyone.

Has anyone approached you about taking part in something like that?

Did you cancel your policy upon paying off your mortgage? If so, are you reconsidering, after witnessing the devastation caused by Ian?

We’d like to hear your stories — about costs, about the ease or lack of ease in filing a claim and about what it is like to deal with insurance adjusters. Tell us your windstorm insurance story.

To do so, fill out the form below and submit it.