This is a production of WEDU PBS, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota.

[music] Coming up on part two of our hurricane edition of Florida This Week, we'll visit a Seminole woman who is starting this hurricane season with extra anxiety.

Still rebuilding after Helen and Milton.

It's a story that's all too common across the Bay area.

You'll hear from the Better Business Bureau investigating dishonest schemes and consumer complaints around home repairs and restoration.

A local subject expert assesses the current state of affairs in the property insurance market.

And on a lighter note, how making a game out of hurricane preps may help the kids in your life avoid hurricane anxiety.

And did you ever wonder how those TV meteorologists keep going for hours during storm coverage?

We go behind the scenes with Tampa Bay's longest running chief meteorologist.

Think Dr. Pepper, suspenders and maybe no shoes.

That's next on Florida This Week.

Hurricane edition.

[music] Welcome back.

I'm Lissette Campos.

It's that time of the year again.

Hurricane season spans June the 1st to November the 30th.

Every year during this time, WEDU serves as a resource to viewers across 16 counties.

As a PBS member station, we're part of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network.

It's a public safety and emergency alerting service, and its app, Florida Storms gives you a customized map with geo targeted alerts from official sources.

You get advisories and warnings from the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center specific to your county.

They're delivered right to your mobile device.

To download the Florida Storms app, visit wedu.org/weather.

We'll have more details on the app later.

But first, we begin with a Pinellas County woman, a survivor story that illustrates you can never be too prepared.

Eight months after Hurricane Helene, this resident is still not back in her home.

Instead, she's living in the front yard in a friend's RV.

Her battle royale with insurance, the city's office of building permits, even trash pickup is a cautionary tale of everything that can go wrong in the broken system of insurance and emergency response.

Last hurricane season, you had a sense of security because you had insurance.

You had the.

Both kinds of insurance homeowners and flood.

Right?

So you started the hurricane season feeling pretty confident that in the event of a major hurricane, you would be taken care of.

Yeah, absolutely.

It was the first time that we had hurricane hurricane shutters to put up, and it was the first time that I drove away evacuating my home and didn't cry because I really felt like that we were going to be safe.

And so lesson learned back to that was that it doesn't matter if you pay your insurance on time.

It doesn't matter if you pay all the renewals that they throw at you, that you have no choice.

Doesn't matter if you put your hurricane shutters up, do all the right things.

Evacuate.

Ultimately, the insurance company's job is is not to pay you, and they're going to fight you all the way.

I've been fighting with FEMA for eight months.

They have a whole department that's called alternative transitional housing assistance.

And every time I get on the phone with them, they ask me for a new document.

It's a moving target, right?

You just never know what they're going to say the next time.

What excuse?

They're going to come up with, how long they're going to try to wear you down by asking you for more documentation and more pictures.

And, um, it is so broken.

FEMA is broken, the insurance system is broken.

The cities and their preparation are broken.

And the only people paying the price for it are those of us who are hurricane victims.

What would you like to see happen in the legislature in terms of relief?

Keeping it clean?

Um, yes.

Yeah.

Keeping it clean.

You know, I think the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

I think that, um, when they made it so that we couldn't sue our insurance companies, their heart was in the right place.

They were trying to get more insurance companies back into the state and offering coverage.

Um, but what they did was leave the citizens with no recourse.

And the insurance companies know that, um, none of the attorneys that I spoke to will take on any of our cases because they know that they won't get paid.

And so we're really at the mercy of what the insurance company is going to do.

And the last question that I have for you is, how are you feeling as we start another hurricane season?

Terrified.

Um, I drew a line in the sand with the contractor and said, I'm not spending the hurricane season in an RV.

Bello is the CEO and publisher of the Tampa Bay Business and Wealth magazine.

She says she plans to use her public platform to advocate for reforms in the legislature, to help Floridians access affordable and reliable insurance for the current state of affairs and hurricane claims and the industry overall.

Here's subject expert Jeff Chernoff, president of Insurance and Trust.

What is the current state of affairs when it comes to the insurance industry?

Sure.

What I would say is that there were a lot of legislative reforms that occurred in 2022 and 2023.

And what we're starting to see is that rates are starting to set a little bit.

Over 100 companies have had rate decreases or rates remaining the same.

Um, and so, uh, the reforms have been working, uh, that in large part has led to decreases in litigation, um, which as a result, has allowed uh, 11 different, uh, carriers to come into Florida that are brand new to the marketplace.

So from an overall health of the industry, it's in a really good spot.

Um, citizens is currently at a little over 800,000 policies, where the height was 1.4 million in September of 2023.

So we're starting to see some of their efforts work as well.

Um, I think the important thing is that people in this community are still hurting.

Um, they're, uh, you know, there are a lot of claims that either still haven't been paid or are open and, um, you know, it's really trying to, um, be there for that part of the community that really is hurting.

And give us an update on that, give us a status on how many claims from Milton and, and Helene have been paid and how many haven't?

Yeah.

So, um, what's important to know when I give these statistics?

Um, are, you know, um, there are a couple of factors.

There are claims that have been paid, um, that are closed.

There are claims that have been paid that are open.

Um, and, uh, and so that's an important figure.

Additionally, most homeowners insurance carriers have what's called a hurricane deductible.

And so, um, that tends to be a larger amount of money to satisfy.

And so there may be no payout even though, um, they did have damage and qualified.

And so, um, I believe, uh, the numbers are around 51% or so, um, of claims, um, have been, uh, paid in some way, shape or form.

One of the things that we learned and so many of the victims that I've talked to from last hurricane season, was the role of a public adjuster.

Um, can you explain that in a way that our viewers can can maybe consider that as an option if something bad happens?

Absolutely.

So a public adjuster is so when you file a claim with your insurance carrier, they're going to assign you an adjuster.

Sometimes that adjuster is an employee of the company.

Sometimes it's 1099.

But they are there to work on behalf of the insurance carrier.

And so oftentimes, um, insureds will want to have a public adjuster, someone that has their best interests at heart and is really interested in making sure that the insured gets everything that the insurance contract states.

As an insurance agent, I don't have a particular dog in that fight, but what I would what's important for um, viewers to know is that, um, the public adjuster will charge around 10%, uh, in non emergency times.

It could be more just depending on what those factors are.

But, uh, during emergencies, usually around 10%.

So you just have to keep that in mind when you're entering into that contract.

They are a regulated industry.

They're regulated by the Department of Financial Services, just like insurance carriers and insurance agents and agencies.

So they are reputable, but you do want to make sure that you know what what the contract is that they're having to sign.

Thank you, Jeff, for your perspective.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

When you're recovering from a hit from a hurricane, you're often desperate to get back to some sense of normalcy in your home or your business.

Unfortunately, there are people who are looking to take advantage of that situation.

Joining me now is Brian Oglesby, the director of public relations and outreach for the Better Business Bureau of West Florida.

And Brian is here to tell us what to look out for.

What are some of the problem areas that you all heard about immediately following last year's devastating hurricane season?

Yeah, so the biggest thing that we hear about and we warn consumers about are the unlicensed contractors, usually that come in from out of state, knocking on people's doors, claiming they can do a quick fix, make an offer to repair, but they're not licensed to do it, and they usually do not do the job right.

And there's problems with their insurance companies after the work is done, or they don't even do the work at all.

They take your money and leave and never come back to start the work.

So many consumers think, well, I would be able to tell if they weren't legitimate.

And these these folks can be pretty creative, right?

Coming up with documentation and things that look like they are very legitimate.

They are very creative.

They'll even steal licensing from legitimate contractors in our community.

They'll create business cards and they'll have contracts and information.

But usually the name doesn't match what they're claiming to be.

So this is where it's important as a consumer, before you engage in any contract with anyone to do work on your home, you have to gather those credentials.

You have to go to the internet, contact the Better Business Bureau, do some of that research first.

Know who it is you're actually doing business with.

See if they're an actual business that exists in the state of Florida.

If they're local to the community and that they're a company you can trust that is licensed and qualified to do that work, that's needed to be done.

So you've talked about unlicensed contractors.

What are some of the other, um, scams that you all are worried about during hurricane season?

Yeah, so another big thing is impersonation scams, where scammers impersonate government agencies like FEMA or any agency that's involved, even not for profit agencies that are heavily involved in the community.

You may get a text message, an email, or maybe even a phone call from these agencies claiming that they're here to help, asking you to click on a link to fill out a form.

What these scammers are trying to do is they're trying to collect your personal information, or they're trying to get you to submit some kind of payment information to receive this help.

And that's a big red flag.

That's a scam.

You want to be careful of impersonation.

No government agency or no legitimate company is going to reach out to you.

Put pressure on you to provide personal data.

Especially ask for your Social Security number that's not needed.

And these front end cases, and it's important to know that these exist and to be aware of them and avoid them as well.

You all at the Better Business Bureau.

You serve the entire West Florida area.

You're dealing with a lot of complaints that come in.

What are some of the other more common complaints that you all have investigated?

Yeah, so we talked about contractor scams.

These are unlicensed individuals or usually not even a business trying to take your money and not do the work.

And that's a scam.

But then you have legitimate contractors that are licensed that are doing work in the community.

And it's important to vet those and look at their track record as well.

Just because a contractor has an actual license doesn't mean they have a good track record.

So do that research on them as well.

Now is the time to be proactive.

Before hurricane season starts, go to the internet.

Go to Borg.

Get a list of contractors in different industries electrical, plumbing, remediation, vet those companies.

Now print out that list and add it to your your box so you're more proactive instead of reactive.

If you have damage to your home, you have that list you can call upon that you know already has been vetted, and you're not being reactive to someone knocking on your door or a last minute choice that you have to make, and you haven't had time to vet that company that you need to choose to hire.

Another complaint that we see coming in around that time of the year, especially when hurricanes are coming around, is the hotel and vacation rental industry.

Um, a lot of people are confused by that and confused.

If a hurricane is coming.

Do I need to cancel?

Will I get a refund?

And this is where it's really important when booking a hotel or vacation rental to really understand their terms and conditions.

And if you're not sure about it, contact the company.

Ask those questions.

What if I have to cancel?

What if the place is damaged?

What terms and conditions do you have?

What policies do you have?

Will I get a refund in those scenarios?

If you have these challenges, B.b.b is here as a resource for contractors and those hotel vacation rental industries to help resolve that dispute through a complaint process.

And complaints are not a bad thing.

We're here to mediate that scenario, work with the consumer and the business, try to bring the parties together and resolve that dispute.

Well, thank you for all that you all do.

This show is meant to be a resource to our viewers.

Again, you can reach out to the Better Business Bureau of West Florida anytime.

The website is www.bbb.org, and we also have their phone number at the bottom of your screen.

[music] One of the biggest concerns for families going into hurricane season is how to keep children safe, calm and feeling protected.

The trauma of last year's back to back hurricanes has left a lasting mark on both adults and kids.

Stephanie Koszalka is the manager of clinical services at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

For the past ten years, she's worked with survivors of trauma, and she joins us today with tips on how to take care of the youngest members of the family during this very difficult time.

Thank you, Stephanie, for coming in.

And thank you so much for having me today.

That's definitely an area that I'm really passionate about, is supporting the mental health of our youth of today.

The preparation for hurricane season this year is very different because of the experiences from last season.

Give us an idea of of how we can best prepare for that.

Absolutely.

I really think that just as all of us, in our own way, are experiencing and remembering what happened last year, and all based on our experiences that also the kids are remembering how that impacted them too.

And this could be disruptions in their normal routine one with school being out.

This could mean evacuating, moving, and also the stress and strain that put on their parents or caregivers and their families as well.

Um, and I also think it's going to definitely impact kids who didn't, didn't directly feel the effects of the hurricane.

They may have had friends who were impacted.

They may have heard from people at school or known neighbors or others in the community, and be worried that that's also potentially going to happen this year.

So let's give a let's do a breakdown for the younger children, for the viewer at home who either has younger children at home or or knows someone who does.

What are the warning signs that they should look at and what are ways to mitigate that?

Absolutely.

So I think one of the most important thing to keep in mind is a parent or caregiver.

You know your child best, right?

You're the expert on your child and their typical day to day behaviors and interactions and thoughts and feelings.

So the most notable thing with young, young children and teenagers is any changes in behavior that are out of the ordinary, but there's definitely different.

Some warning signs that I can give you specific for young children and teens.

For young children, you might see more fidgeting or anxious kind of behaviors having difficulty sitting still, possibly having to repeat directives more frequently.

They may also feel like they're seeking additional and extra reassurance more than typical or seeking you out.

Perhaps needing to make sure you're still in the room for teenagers can frequently look like irritability or angry outbursts, and that might be because they're feeling stressed and not having difficulties with recognizing and identifying that they're feeling stressed.

Give us some some tips to mitigate these situations.

Should we, um, not be watching the television in front of the children?

What if they have questions?

How do we answer those questions about whether or not we're going to be okay?

Is this happening again?

How do we what's the best advice that you have for mitigating those situations?

So I think it's impossible for us, not for them not to be aware it's happening because the first sign of a hurricane coming, coming.

Well, other than the news, of course, is the school closures, right.

So the kids and teens are going to be aware on the front end.

So I think it can be important to name and be able to have a conversation with them.

For young children this is still possible.

Like and asking them, hey, are you scared?

How are you feeling about, you know, this being a hurricane or this being hurricane season and also really involving them on the process because I think, um, in terms of hurricane prep, if they feel like they can be a part of it and know and see that their family is going to have a plan, and they're included on that process and playing a role that can help a lot, too.

They feel like they're productive in doing something, and also that reassurance that whatever happens, the parents are doing everything they can.

We're going to do everything we can to stay safe.

And here's how.

Here's the steps that we're going to take to try to make that possible.

And that sounds like good advice for all children, whether they're young children or in their pre-teens or teenagers.

Absolutely.

And I think what young children, you know, in my experiences, young children definitely will be more engaged with different tasks like that if you make a game out of it.

So let's have a hurricane prep day.

Maybe this could look like a scavenger hunt of the items in the house.

Or maybe this could look like running, like fake drills of okay, well, you know, Tommy's going to get this.

You know, Billy's going to go get this, and this, and we're going to meet back here in the middle and kind of making them feel prepared, but also doing it in kind of a game way fairly early on in the season and then being able to kind of remind them throughout as potentially the news comes with these forecasts of tropical storms and hurricanes.

Remember, we were prepared and kind of, you know, repeating that.

So they have that.

During a weather emergency, not just a hurricane.

Our PBS station, local meteorologist and news outlets play a key role sharing public safety information.

Information from city and county officials and first responders here in Tampa Bay.

The meteorologist that's been doing it the longest is Dennis Phillips.

As you saw in part one of our hurricane special, he shared sobering information about this year's forecast, the projections and the lessons learned from Helene and Milton last year.

All serious and important topics.

But at the end of that visit, he gave us a behind the scenes look at his weather center that's sure to make you smile.

Take a look.

Your typical night during hurricane season.

They have no idea all the hours that you put in.

You know, you're you're you're living on Dr. Pepper.

Diet Dr Pepper and Hot Pockets.

So the set was around when we had a, an area behind this wall right here that was known as Club Titan.

Club Titan.

Now, the reason it was called Club Titan is because Titan was the name of our radar.

That's right.

If you would walk into it, it looked like my dorm room at Penn State.

It had a lava lamp.

It had a black.

And we still got the couch back there, by the way.

And and and the fridge with fully stocked Dr. Pepper.

Pepper.

Right.

And no Hot Pockets.

I've gone off those.

But but but yeah, I mean it's look, it's a, it's an all hands on deck deal.

Whenever there's a storm coming and everybody in this building, everybody works and stays overnight and you know, where you're going to sleep is at a premium.

If you were to sleep, which in most cases we don't when we're on air.

And nowadays it's very differently said because we also have streaming going on.

How is somebody going to make a decision that will keep their family safe?

That's right.

If their head's not screwed on straight, if they're not thinking it through, if they're freaking out, you're not going to make the right decisions.

The whole rule number seven thing that I'm sure all the DPL folks are, but don't freak out unless I'm freaking out.

We're fine.

And that started back in 2012 because we had Hurricane Isaac, and I don't know if you remember.

I'm sure you do.

The RNC was here.

And this hurricane was coming, Isaac, and everybody was freaking out, and they were talking about moving it to Jacksonville because they were so afraid we were going to have a hurricane.

And I'm like, no, guys, we're not.

It's not going to get us.

We're going to be okay.

And I wrote down these, jotted down these seven rules, and it was referencing to Isaac specifically number seven.

Don't freak out unless I'm freaking out.

We're fine.

And I was talking about Isaac.

What's the longest that you've been awake during hurricane season?

Extended coverage.

Yeah, I think Charlie might very well have been the longest.

It was 41, 42 straight hours that we were on.

Um, and that's when I started wearing these silly suspenders.

And because I wore it, people forget I wore jackets prior to Hurricane Charlie.

Every day I did the weather.

So anyway, it did miss us.

And after the storm missed us, the station did all this research.

Who did you watch?

No idea what the guy's name was, but he was wearing a pair of suspenders.

And that is exactly because I happen to have one pair on, for whatever reason.

Have a chance to.

You didn't have time to change or put your jacket back on.

Well, and when you're doing extended coverage, you know, you take your jacket off and you just get comfortable because you're on for so long.

You're wearing comfortable shoes.

Well, I'm usually nowadays I'm barefoot or I have my socks on.

You have nice sneakers on tonight.

Because you're here.

When you guys were coming.

I'm like, well, gosh, okay, PBS is going to be here.

I better put my shoes on.

Now, granted, there's still dad shoes, all right, but, um.

But they're at least not my socks on.

So, anyway.

Thank you so much for being part of our show.

I know that viewers always love to get to know the people that they see and trust on TV, and so I really appreciate you opening your doors to us and being part of our hurricane special Edu.

It's my pleasure.

Our thanks to all the local experts and survivors sharing their stories and advice on our hurricane episodes of Florida This Week.

We want to remind you once again of the Florida Storms app.

You can download it on.

Download it to your cell phone and laptop to have updated weather information throughout the hurricane season.

Just enter your county information and you'll get up to date emergency information that's specific to your area of interest.

Alerts come from official sources, including advisories from the National Hurricane Center.

You also get advisories of lightning and strong storms, evacuation zones, and a whole lot more.

These are free, life saving public media resources designed to help our community.

Thank you so much for watching.

We'll be back next week with a regular edition of Florida This Week.

Send us your comments to ftw@wedu.org and don't forget to stay in touch with us on Facebook from our entire team here at WEDU.

Have a great weekend!

[music] Florida This Week is a production of WEDU.

Who is solely responsible for its content.