As Tropical Storm Idalia churns toward Florida, insurance experts at AAA – The Auto Club Group are providing important advice to help residents prepare their families and property.
“Now is the time to gather supplies, fortify your home and document your belongings,” said Jennifer Pintacuda, President of AAA’s Florida-based insurance providers. “It’s also important to collect your insurance policy information and phone numbers for your agent and provider, so you’ll know who to contact in the event you need to file a claim.”
AAA provides the following insurance advice:
Develop an Evacuation Plan and Be Ready to Execute It
A 2023 survey of Floridians found that one-in-five (20%) would evacuate their home for a Category 2 storm or higher. More than a quarter (27%) would leave for a Category 3 hurricane or stronger.
Meanwhile, almost a quarter 24% of Floridians say they’d ignore evacuation orders. The top reasons they’d stay: in case there’s damage they can repair (40%), can’t bring their pets (30%), believe the storm will turn away from their direction (22%).
“Staying home in the path of a dangerous storm is not worth the risk,” Pintacuda said. “Having adequate insurance coverage should give you the peace of mind in evacuating, knowing that any property damage you sustain would be repaired.”
AAA’s Evacuation Advice
Safety Tips for Drivers
AAA urges drivers to be patient and courteous of others on the road. Tensions are likely to be high with an approaching storm, but getting in a crash would only make matters worse.
AAA provides the following tips for drivers:
When driving in the rain, AAA advises:
About the AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey
The AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey was conducted online among residents living in Florida from April 20 – 27, 2023. A total of 400 residents completed the survey. Survey results asked of all respondents have a maximum margin of error of ± 4.9% points. Responses are weighted by age and gender to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the adult population (18+) in Florida.
About AAA - The Auto Club Group
The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America with more than 14 million members across 14 U.S. states, the province of Quebec and two U.S. territories. ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 62 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA’s mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety. For more information, get the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.