Flooding is the primary cause of hurricane-related damage.
About 73% of the open property-insurance and business-related claims resulting from Hurricane Michael damage originated in Bay County, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reports (FOIR).
The county recorded a total of 89,772 claims, with 11,578 remaining unresolved as of Oct. 25 of last year. The total number of open claims statewide resulting from the October 2018 Category 5 hurricane stood at 15,893, according to FOIR.
Bay County’s percentage of closed property insurance claims was reported at 87.1%, compared to 89.4% statewide. The counties with the highest percentages of closed claims were Jefferson (97.9%) and Washington (97.8%), according to FOIR’s tally.
The primary reasons for unresolved property claims involved documentation delays among the parties, incomplete repairs, disputes about pricing or rates, settlements awaiting adjustments by public adjusters or lawyers, and supplemental property claims issues, according to reports from insurers.
Estimated losses resulting from the hurricane striking the state’s panhandle have surpassed $7.4 billion, FOIR said.
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Hurricane Michael Property Claims by County
| County | Number of Claims Reported | Claims Closed With Payment | Claims Closed Without Payment | Number of Open Claims | Percent of Claims Closed |
| Bay | 89,772 | 68,997 | 9,197 | 11,578 | 87.1% |
| Calhoun | 4,083 | 3,500 | 287 | 296 | 92.8% |
| Franklin | 2,347 | 1,312 | 874 | 161 | 93.1% |
| Gadsden | 6,280 | 4,666 | 1,144 | 470 | 92.5% |
| Gulf | 8,254 | 6,102 | 1,265 | 887 | 89.3% |
| Holmes | 1,030 | 746 | 237 | 47 | 95.4% |
| Jackson | 14,047 | 11,646 | 1,226 | 1,175 | 91.6% |
| Jefferson | 192 | 136 | 52 | 4 | 97.9% |
| Leon | 10,236 | 6,730 | 3,182 | 324 | 96.8% |
| Liberty | 1,185 | 1,016 | 118 | 51 | 95.7% |
| Wakulla | 1,439 | 983 | 425 | 31 | 97.8% |
| Washington | 3,614 | 2,914 | 491 | 209 | 94.2% |
| Rest of the state | 7,294 | 4,152 | 2,482 | 660 | 91.0% |
| TOTAL | 149,773 | 112,900 | 20,980 | 15,893 | 89.4% |
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