FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 19, 2021

Insurance Commissioner Recognizes Those Affected by Hurricane Laura

As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Laura making landfall in the Lake Charles area approaches, Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon reminds policyholders affected by the hurricane that their struggle has not been forgotten.

Hurricane Laura was responsible for 175,160 total insurance claims, most of which were residential property claims. Total paid losses plus reserves on reported claims for Hurricane Laura as of the end of June were $8.6 billion, accounting for the vast majority of the estimated $10 billion in insured damage from the historic 2020 hurricane season in Louisiana.

“For those Louisiana citizens who were affected by Hurricane Laura and are having issues with their insurer, the Department of Insurance can still help you. And for those of us throughout the state that did not bear the burden of the 2020 hurricane season, now is the time to help our fellow Louisianians,” said Commissioner Donelon. “Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter and all the representatives of the Lake Charles area have been sounding the alarm that Southwest Louisiana needs assistance to recover from hurricanes Laura and Delta.”

The Help Southwest Louisiana Now campaign was created and launched as a grassroots effort to advocate for much needed federal supplemental disaster relief funding. According to a press release from the City of Lake Charles, “within the City of Lake Charles alone, housing damages are estimated at $235 million, less than 13% of residential buildings have pulled permits to begin reconstruction or rehabilitation, 60% of public housing is still offline, average rental costs have risen by 22%, and 21% of businesses have not renewed occupational licenses for 2021.”

After Hurricane Laura, LDI staff members spent six weeks in Lake Charles answering questions about insurance policies and helping people with their claims. Commissioner Donelon has continued visiting the region and participating in insurance claim town halls such as an upcoming event in DeRidder.

During the 2021 legislative session, the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) worked with lawmakers, including former Lake Charles Sen. Ronnie Johns, who sponsored an amendment to the annual state budget bill to appropriate funds to perform market conduct examinations on five insurers that received a disproportionate share of complaints after the 2020 storms.

The results of market conduct examinations can trigger regulatory action in the form of fines or other punitive measures if the examinations reveal that improper activity has occurred. LDI is conducting thorough examinations of these insurers to protect policyholders affected by Hurricane Laura.

LDI has received over 1,700 complaints related to the 2020 hurricane season and has recovered more than $50.4 million on behalf of policyholders through mid-August. For more detailed information on claims from the 2020 hurricane season please see the latest update and the data call results.

Policyholders who have questions about their coverage or navigating the claim process can contact the Louisiana Department of Insurance at 1-800-259-5300. For additional consumer tips on preparing for hurricane season, please view our comprehensive guides or visit www.ldi.la.gov/hurricanes.

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.