Butler Agency Hurricane Michael Update #7

Hurricane Michael Update #7 Wednesday, October 24, 2018 An Update From Denise Cliff, Allison and I visited Gulf County for the first time since the storm last weekend. Photos do not capture the utter devastation of Mexico Beach nor the massive damage in Port St. Joe.  Crews are working daylight to dusk to clear the roadways, home sites and repair infrastructure.  We have seen the best of humanity and sadly, some of the worst. On Monday morning, the road thru Mexico Beach was shut down unless you are on an approved list. The crews need to be able to work. It is important for me to say that reactions to loss vary with individuals. We speak with someone who has lost everything but is grateful their lives have been spared and the next phone call may be someone who is angry that flood does not cover their boardwalk or items in their freezer that lost power.  It is a roller coaster for us, for sure.  Please try to put your situation in perspective.  We live and play in a beautiful but potentially risky location. That said, it is hard to escape Mother Nature anywhere: fires in the West, volcanoes in Hawaii, and more. We are not alone in our losses. The National Flood Insurance Program is federally funded and the rules for coverage are very specific. We have always told our customers that it is CATASTROPHIC insurance because that is what it is. It does not include loss of use, fencing, docks, boardwalks, pools and depending on your flood zone, the enclosure or stuff in it.  CBRA (Coastal Barrier Resource Act) zones are not in “FEMA” zones. This does matter. FEMA assistance is not typically available to those areas. Do not assume that FEMA will help fill in gaps in coverage or renourish your beach, repair erosion, move sand, fix a dock, repair seawalls, replace pavers, replace landscaping or spoiled food.  Applications can be made but be prepared for declinations for some. The claims process is done by severity. There are thousands of claims. Many total losses have already received payment.  Public adjusters charge a portion of your claim should you determine you want to go that route. That amount can be as much as 10% of the amount you might have received without them. New building codes have shown their merit mitigating losses. Regulations for what we can and cannot do to our homes are enacted to prevent future losses. Keep this in mind now and going forward. Patience with the process. If you are reading this you have power or a phone that works! Denise Butler Office Hours 8a to 4p EST, Monday - Friday Office phones have been restored.  All calls should be directed to 850-670-1200. Email continues to be the preferred method of contact for any non-urgent questions/ concerns is by email. Please do not assume any claim to be filed until you hear from us indicating such. Denise - denise@thebutleragency.com Allison - allison@thebutleragency.com Zach - zach@thebutleragency.com When emailing, please only send your email to one of us to avoid duplicate responses. From Franklin County Sheriff's Department Supply Distribution From the Sheriff's Department, Wednesday, October 24, 2018: Please come to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for supplies on Wednesday from 12-5pm. We have more donations and would like to offer them to anyone in Franklin County who’s in need before they are shipped to other affected areas. From Franklin County, FL Emergency Management When separating debris please remember to not put your debris in black trash bags if you do it will not be picked up. The debris contractor cannot determine if your black trash bag is debris or household trash. So if your debris is in black trash bags on your debris piles the contractor will assume it is household garbage not pick them up. From Franklin County, FL Building Department All houses, businesses, boardwalks and docks, etc. that need to be repaired, replaced, assessed, etc. will require a permit. All contractors working on the job must cease if they are not licensed in Franklin County for the trade hired. Please contact/visit the Franklin County Building Department for further information: 34 Forbes Street, Suite 1 Apalachicola, FL 32320 850-653-9783 From Gulf County, FL Emergency Management The official county Point of Distribution at Wewahitchka High School has moved to the Old Wewa Gym – 852 South Highway 71, Wewahitchka – and is housed with the volunteer distribution center there. All donation centers still are maintaining distribution to the affected communities but are no longer accepting donations at these sites. All future donations will be directed to the state distribution center. For more information on getting supplies to the state center, please call 805-536-4432. To make cash contributions, please visitwww.VolunteerFlorida.org. Operation Blue Roof is being operated by the Army Corps of Engineers to provide assistance to residents who need help tarping their roofs. Call 1-800-766-3258 or visit www.usace.army.mil/blueroof The Department of Health has set up a Hurricane Michael information line. Call 850-227-1276 to get information related to health and environmental concerns. From Port St. Joe Police Department Garbage Drop Off - two rolloff dumpsters in PSJ - one at the Boy Scout Hut & one on Knowles Avenue - These are for household garbage - NO DEBRIS From Bay County, FL Emergency Services The Bay County Emergency Operations Center, in accordance with a request from the City of Mexico Beach, will initiate a series of enhanced checkpoints limiting traffic into Mexico Beach beginning at 6 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 23. Traffic will be limited at the eastbound base of the DuPont Bridge on U.S. 98 in Parker; at the western city limit of Mexico Beach on U.S. 98 in Bay County; at the eastern city limit of Mexico Beach on U.S. 98 at the Gulf County line; and at County 386 in the area of 15th Street; north of the City of Mexico Beach. At the DuPont Bridge, traffic local to Tyndall Air Force Base will be directed to the right lane. Vehicles en route to Mexico Beach are directed to the left lane and must be properly authorized. Access to Mexico Beach will be limited to credentialed residents, property owners, insurance adjusters, city contractors, approved volunteer teams and charities, and federal, state, and local recovery officials. Drivers to and from Gulf County should take State 22 to State 71 South into Gulf County. Additional information and credentialing requirements can be found at Bay County, Florida's Emergency Services Facebook page. Bay County, Florida Emergency Services Pre/Post Hurricane Michael Imagery This site will allow you to access NOAA's imagery of the damage to our area for quick Check In on your home. The new link below pairs the pre- and post-Michael imagery with a slider between the two, allowing for a quick comparison. Pre/Post Michael Imagery FEMA Hurricane Michael Rumor Control Please follow the link below to access FEMA's Hurricane Michael Rumor Control page. This page provides valuable information regarding rumors and scams FEMA has seen evidence of. FEMA Rumor Control FEMA Disaster Assistance Information Most of the areas that we serve have been designated FEMA Individual and Public Assistance areas as of 10/16/2018. We are unable to provide information related to these services. Please navigate todisasterassistance.gov. DisasterAssistance.gov Claim Contact Information American Bankers -- (800)852-2244 American Integrity -- (866)277-9871 American Strategic Insurance -- (866)274-8765 American Strategic Insurance Flood -- (866)511-0793 Avatar -- (877)233-3237 Bankers -- (800)765-9700 Beazley (with Johnson and Johnson) -- email claims@jjins.com Cabrillo -- (866)482-5246 Citizens -- (866)411-2742 Cypress -- (877)560-5224 Elements (EPIC) -- (866)709-8749 Federated -- (800)293-2532 FEMA Flood -- (800)767-4341 FL Family Insurance -- (888)486-4663 FL Peninsula -- (877)229-2244 Florida Specialty -- (866)554-5896 Frontline Torrent Flood -- (877)254-6819 Frontline -- (800)675-0145 Heritage Property & Casualty -- (855)415-7120 Homeowners Choice -- (866)324-3138 (888)2105235 Lexington (with Johnson and Johnson) -- email claims@jjins.com Olympus -- (866)281-2242 Orchid -- (866)370-6505 Progressive -- (800)-925-2886 Seacoast Brokers Insurance -- (843)341-1600 Security First Insurance -- (877)581-4862 Southern Fidelity Insurance -- (866)722-4995 Southern Oak Insurance -- (877)900-2280 Sterling Surplus (Flood) -- www.sterlingsu.com TAPCO -- (800)334-5579 United Property & Casualty -- (888)256-3378 Universal Property & Casualty -- (800)470-0599 Velocity Risk Underwriters -- (844)878-2567 Weston Insurance -- (877)505-3040 Wright Flood -- (800)725-9472 If your carrier isn't listed, please call us at 850-670-1200 between 8a-4p EST. Adjuster Contact You do not have to be at the home when the adjuster visits. The adjuster will, however, need access to the interior and exterior of your home. You can have a neighbor, friend, secondary caregiver, property management company, etc. accompany the adjuster to your home. Do not make any permanent repairs to the home prior to meeting with the adjuster(s). Contractor Recommendations We are not able to give specific recommendations for a contractor for remediation and repairs. The Franklin and Gulf County Building Departments can provide a list of contractors licensed in our area.  You can also search the FL Department of Business and Professional Regulation for individuals licensed to serve your particular need. Additionally, you can contact the area Chamber of Commerce. Florida DBPR Franklin County Bldg Dept Gulf County Bldg Dept Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce Gulf County Chamber of Commerce Carrabelle Chamber of Commerce Bay County Chamber of Commerce Butler Agency, LLC | 135 US Highway 98, Eastpoint, FL 32328 | 850-670-1200

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