Florida
Hurricane Helene hits Florida homeowners already facing soaring insurance costs
As Hurricane Helene barreled through Florida, the storm’s winds and flooding left a trail of damaged homes in its wake, causing up to an estimated $6 billion in private insurance losses, according to global reinsurance broker Gallagher Re.
As homeowners assess the damage, the storm is again drawing attention to wobbly Florida’s property insurance market. Soaring premiums have squeezed homeowners, who shouldered a 45% increase in insurance rates from 2017 to 2022, according to a recent report from the Florida Policy Project.
The average annual premium for a Florida homeowner is $5,500 — about 140% higher than the average U.S. homeowner’s insurance premium of $2,285, according to Bankrate. The spike in costs sometimes leads people to forego insurance altogether, with some Florida residents telling CBS Miami that they’ve been socked with rates reaching $20,000 per year.
With extreme weather becoming more frequent and destructive due to climate change, homeowners in parts of the U.S. facing mounting risks are likely to see significantly higher insurance costs in the years ahead, according to a June paper from experts at the University of Wisconsin and University of Pennsylvania.
“Property insurance serves as the front line of defense against climate risk for homeowners and real estate investors,” the researchers noted. “By 2053, we estimate that climate-exposed homeowners will be paying $700 higher annual premiums due to increasing wildfire and hurricane risk.”
Separate research from Harvard University, Columbia University and the Federal Reserve found that Florida ranks among the top U.S. states for projected future economic losses linked to climate change.
But insurance industry losses in Florida are affecting property coverage in the present, as well. Traditional insurers have pulled back from offering home policies in the state, especially in its more disaster-prone regions, with the insurer-of-last resort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., and newer insurers picking up the slack.
At the same time, those insurers are facing higher rates from reinsurance companies, which are financial businesses that offer insurance for insurers. Because insurance companies can get financially flattened by an extreme storm or other catastrophic event, they often turn to reinsurance companies to help mitigate the risk.
“Florida, much more than any other state in the country, is exposed to the global reinsurance market,” Jeff Brandes, founder and president of the Florida Policy Project, told CBS MoneyWatch.
Hurricanes highlight why reinsurers “are very cautious about lowering prices, which definitely impacts Floridians,” Brandes added, while noting that initial damage assessments suggest Helene’s impact on Florida properties appears to be less severe than initially feared.
“If this had shifted a few degrees east and hit Tampa Bay, the damages would be 20 times greater,” he said.
In the meantime, recent reforms to Florida’s insurance market may provide some relief to cost-burdened homeowners. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping property insurance bill at the end of 2022 that aims to deter frivolous lawsuits and limit insurer costs.
Although that could help stave off rate increases in the short term, over the longer term Florida homeowners and insurers might be powerless as the planet continues to warm.
“As losses from climate change worsen, the financial stability risks of insurers is likely to become even more pronounced,” noted the researchers from Harvard, Columbia and the Fed. “We are likely to see policymakers face difficult tradeoffs in maintaining affordability, availability and reliability of insurance markets.”
ORLANDO, Fla. – More than 420,000 Floridians use WIC, according to a 2024 USDA report — the fourth highest number in the country.
However, those benefits are delayed for many in Central Florida due to the government shutdown, leaving families without a way to pay for baby formula and nutritional food for their children.
Destiny Perez-Prado is trying to figure out how she’s going to feed her seven children this month since her WIC and SNAP benefits are delayed.
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“It’s still just heartbreaking, you know, to think that for Thanksgiving, we might not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving — you know, have the food that we need, food that would be typically accessible to us,” Perez-Prado said.
Her benefits pay for around $800 in groceries each month, and WIC specifically covers her more expensive items like baby formula, Pediasure, and other nutritional foods.
“It’s so expensive. Just a can of formula — the cheapest is $28, I believe. And it’s crazy. Some kids need specialized formulas,” she said.
Between being a single mother, college student, and self-employed, Perez-Prado says getting a second job to afford groceries is nearly impossible.
“I have two children with autism — a little girl and a little boy — and then my third with ADHD. So for that, you know, it’s hard for me to keep a consistent job, even with my degree,” she explained.
One Heart for Women and Children is stepping in to help Perez-Prado. Founder Stephanie Bowman says about 30,000 people in Orange County use WIC — and many of them now need extra help.
“We’ve had 500 calls just this week from individuals we’ve never seen or heard from before,” Bowman said.
One Heart typically helps around 20,000 people per month, but that demand is rising due to the shutdown.
“What we’ve had to do is give families less food — and we never want to do that. But we want to make sure that every individual who comes to us can get food,” Bowman added.
Perez-Prado says she’s working to become financially stable one day, but right now her priority is feeding her kids.
“You know, they still deserve to eat. They’re babies — they didn’t ask to be here. And even if we as parents didn’t go about it the way certain people think we should to avoid problems like this, it’s still a problem. We’re still here, and we still need help,” she said.
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OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – SNAP benefits for thousands of families here in Central Florida are cut off, leaving many scrambling to afford the food they need, including local seniors. Many have medical needs that require special diets, and they say food banks just can’t always meet them.
“Being a citizen and being on the income that I’m on—it is hard. To tell you the truth, it’s unfair,” said senior Shirley Williford, who is among those impacted by the delay.
On Saturday, Williford and another local senior, Kim Augenstein, received notifications that their SNAP benefits for November would be pushed back. For Williford, who lives on a fixed income and doesn’t have transportation, it’s a nightmare.
“I only have high blood pressure. I kind of went on a diet myself. The food that I need for my diet—I’m not going to be able to get it,” Williford said.
Augenstein, who was recently diagnosed with diabetes, said losing those benefits could put her health at risk. “When you’re almost a diabetic or you are a diabetic, you have to have that food for your insulin. If you go without food, that’s a big problem,” she said.
[VIDEO: Central Florida food programs face challenges as federal SNAP support stops]
Now, the seniors are relying on local organizations in Osceola County, such as Clarita’s House Outreach Ministries and the Black Empowerment and Community Council, which are already seeing a rising demand.
“Families are already so tight with money and resources. For us to be at this critical time, it’s important that we rally together,” said Tiffany Jeffers with the Black Empowerment and Community Council.
But those groups say the ongoing government shutdown is also limiting the resources they can offer. “The grant writers keep saying we can’t do this one or that one. So many programs are being cut. Some of the grants we would normally get—recurring grants—we’re no longer getting, and that’s definitely because of government funding,” said Doreen Barker, founder of Clarita’s House Outreach Ministries.
In the meantime, seniors are helping each other by sharing rides and picking up groceries—but they’re still hoping the shutdown ends soon.
“I don’t think it needs to be cut down. It doesn’t need to be cut off—because I depend on those food stamps,” Williford said.
The Black Empowerment and Community Council is partnering with Solid Rock Community Church in Kissimmee and AARP next week to distribute food and resources to those impacted by the SNAP delays.
Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
Condon averaged 10.6 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds for the Gators’ 2024-25 national championship team and posted seven double-doubles and earned third-team honors on the coaches All-SEC team. The Perth, Australia, native has totaled 668 career points and 508 rebounds through his first two seasons at UF. Condon has already picked up preseason AP All-America, first-team All-SEC and NABC Player of the Year Watch List recognition heading into the 2025-26 season.
Condon joins a trio of teammates as preseason Naismith Starting 5 honorees previously announced this season: Boogie Fland (Bob Cousy Award), Xaivian Lee (Jerry West Award) and Thomas Haugh (Karl Malone Award). The Abdul-Jabbar Award has been presented since 2015, and Condon is the first Gator to make its watch list since Colin Castleton (2022-23).
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Preseason Watch List
| Malique Ewin | Arkansas |
| Moustapha Thiam | Cincinnati |
| Owen Freeman | Creighton |
| Patrick Ngongba | Duke |
| Alex Condon | Florida |
| Chris Cenac | Houston |
| Tomislav Ivišić | Illinois |
| Flory Bidunga | Kansas |
| Jayden Quaintance | Kentucky |
| Ernest Udeh Jr. | Miami |
| Aday Mara | Michigan |
| Rienk Mast | Nebraska |
| Henri Versaar | North Carolina |
| Nate Bittle | Oregon |
| Oscar Cluff | Purdue |
| Robbie Avila | Saint Louis |
| Magoon Gwath | San Diego State |
| Zuby Ejiofor | St. John’s |
| Felix Okpara | Tennessee |
| Tarris Reed, Jr. | UConn |
2025-26 Florida Men’s Basketball Ticket Information
Traditional season tickets are officially SOLD OUT for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Arena Pass
Arena Passes are officially SOLD OUT for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Single Games
Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 Florida men’s basketball season are now on sale.
Fans can purchase tickets at FloridaGators.com, by calling the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683, or in person at Gate 2 on the west side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
All Gators Weekend Pack
The All Gators Weekend Pack is now available, which includes the Florida men’s basketball game against Merrimack on Friday, November 21, and the Florida football game against Tennessee on Saturday, November 22, for only $149 plus taxes/fees.
All fans attending the Merrimack men’s basketball game will receive a 2025 NCAA National Championship replica ring, presented by Meldon Law.
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