FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 5, 2021

 Commissioner Donelon Updates 2020 Hurricane Data Through Sept. 30, 2021

The latest tally on the insured losses from the 2020 hurricane season is in, and insurers have paid or reserved to pay $10.6 billion to cover claims in Louisiana from hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta as of Sept. 30, according to the latest data call issued by the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI). 

By law, policyholders have two years from the date of the storm to resolve claims before they must file a lawsuit to preserve their rights to continue negotiating. Although the amount of insured losses could change slightly as policyholders wrap up their claims, the Sept. 30 figures represent the fifth and final report to the LDI quantifying damage caused by those hurricanes.

Policyholders have filed 323,727 claims of all types from the three storms through the third quarter of this year. Of those, 218,615 claims, or 68%, were closed with payment as of Sept. 30, garnering $8.6 billion in payments for damage caused by the three hurricanes. Insurers have reserved an additional $2 billion to pay on claims resulting from those storms.

“Residents of our state suffered a devastating blow from the 2020 hurricanes, as these figures attest,” Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said. “With labor and materials prices rising because of the labor shortages and supply chain disruptions during and after the pandemic, I encourage all policyholders to continue filing supplemental claims if they discover that the cost to rebuild is more expensive than what they have been paid.”

The 2020 storm season was the most active ever in Louisiana, with three hurricanes plus tropical storms Cristobal and Marco striking the state. Last fall, the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) issued a data call requiring all property and casualty insurers, including surplus lines insurers, to submit their claims data in Louisiana on hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta through the third quarter of 2021. The figures represent insurance claims from both personal and commercial insurance.

These payments do not include claims or payments from the National Flood Insurance Program, which is not regulated by the Louisiana Department of Insurance. They also do not include uninsured losses and what people paid out of pocket to cover the deductibles on their insurance policies. As such, the total cost of the three storms is much higher.

Later this year, the LDI plans to initiate a data call about Hurricane Ida, which struck Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2021. The number of claims and amount of insured losses from Hurricane Ida, which, like Laura, was a strong Category 4 storm, is expected to exceed those of Laura, because Ida hit a more populous area.  

Policyholders have filed 177,691 claims from Hurricane Laura, which struck Southwest Louisiana on Aug. 27, 2020, as a strong Category 4 storm. As of Sept. 30, insurers had closed 90% of the claims from Hurricane Laura, 72% of which were closed with payment. Total paid losses plus reserves on reported claims for Hurricane Laura as of the end of September were $9 billion, accounting for the vast majority of damage from the 2020 hurricane season in Louisiana.

Policyholders have filed 89,451 claims from Hurricane Delta, which made landfall in Southwest Louisiana on Oct. 9, 2021, as a Category 2 storm. At the end of September, insurers had closed 93% of all Delta claims, and 63% of those claims were closed with payment. Insurers have paid or reserved $875.5 million to cover losses from reported claims for Hurricane Delta as of Sept. 30.

Policyholders have filed 56,585 claims from Hurricane Zeta, which made landfall in Terrebonne Parish on Oct. 28, 2020, and traveled through the New Orleans area as a Category 3 storm. As of Sept. 30, insurers had closed 94% of reported Zeta claims, and 60% of those claims were closed with payment. Total paid losses plus reserves on reported claims were $629.3 million for Hurricane Zeta.

Data for the 2020 hurricanes through Sept. 30 can be found at www.ldi.la.gov/datacallresults in tables and in an interactive map.

Anyone who is having trouble with their insurance claim should file a complaint with the Louisiana Department of Insurance by going to www.ldi.la.gov/fileacomplaint or by calling the LDI at 1-800-259-5300.

About the Louisiana Department of Insurance: The Louisiana Department of Insurance works to improve competition in the state’s insurance market while assisting individuals and businesses with the information and resources they need to be informed consumers of insurance. As a regulator, the LDI enforces the laws that provide a fair and stable marketplace and makes certain that insurers comply with the laws in place to protect policyholders. You can contact the LDI by calling 1-800-259-5300 or visiting www.ldi.la.gov.