Over Half of Milton Claims Closed
More than a month after Hurricane Milton hit Florida, just over half of insurance claims have been closed, according to new data from the state Office of Insurance Regulation.
More than 285 thousand claims had been filed as of November 12th, following Milton’s Florida landfall near Siesta Key on October 9th.
Just over 56 percent of closed claims were closed with payments made to policyholders.
According to the state, insured losses top three billion dollars, but other estimates are much higher.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis says impacts to Florida would have been much worse had the storm’s path drifted north even a few miles.
“The carriers, I think they all collectively in Florida are breathing a sigh of relief. They know this storm season could have been a whole heck of a lot worse if Milton would have made more of a direct hit into Tampa Bay.”
Meanwhile, over 60 percent of the 133 thousand claims filed due to Hurricane Helene have been closed.
Helene made landfall in Taylor County on September 26th.
New Lion Habitat at Brevard Zoo
The Brevard Zoo in Viera has expanded their Expedition Africa area, including an all new permanent habitat for their three lion residents , Chobe, Karoo, and Ruaha. Double the size of their previous location, this over 15,000-square-foot area officially opens to the public on November 16, 2024.
Allegiant nonstop flight service between Melbourne and Cincinnati
Today Allegiant Air begins offering twice-weekly flights from Cincinnati-Melbourne on Mondays and Fridays.
Greg Donovan, the Melbourne airport's executive director, said We need to demonstrate to Allegiant that this is a strong route for us".
As of Sept. 30, domestic passenger traffic at the Melbourne airport is up 4.7% That growth presents the need for airport parking congestion planning and potential long-term solutions. The airport has 653 public parking spaces. A lot expansion is underway that will add 112 public spaces and 20 employee spaces, with construction expected to wrap up in January.
Free Theatre of Brevard first production opens Saturday
This weekend, Free Theatre of Brevard will present "Patient A," a play by playwright Lee Blessing about a young Florida woman who contracted the AIDS virus from a health professional. After retiring from Eastern Florida State College, director Janet Rubin is "following her passion" by founding The Free Theatre of Brevard.
'Patient A' is based on a real-life story and "centers on the life and death of Kimberly Bergalis, the 23 year-old Florida woman who died of AIDS after being infected by her dentist." Performances are at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at Eastminster Presbyterian Church,
West Palm Beach to take U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to court over city’s water protection levels
The city of West Palm Beach wants an appeals court to weigh in on water access while the Army Corps builds a large reservoir near the Everglades. As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers advances its Everglades Agricultural Area project, West Palm Beach and county officials want assurances the reservoir won’t harm water-supply levels.
Local officials say the Corps ignored a 24-year-old provision that ensured utilities maintain appropriate water levels throughout – especially during droughts.
West Palm Mayor Keith James said the city is challenging a lower court decision that allowed the project to continue.
The failure of the Corps to adhere to the Savings Clause, we believe, uh, would jeopardize our access to a reliable and predictable source of water. This dispute highlights the challenge of balancing Everglades restoration with local water supply needs.
Ryan Rossi is Executive Director of the South Florida Water Coalition.
It is simply mystifying to me that decades of that sort of legal protection would disappear at a time when climate is more unpredictable, more dramatic, and populations in this area in particular continue to rise.
Mayor James said since the city supplies water to Mar A Lago, he hopes to attract the attention of president-elect Donald Trump to the issue. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the issue on November 20th.
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