ICYMI

Flood losses and insurance claims from Hurricane Ian reach astronomical numbers, Aramis Ayala aims to unseat Ashley Moody, Orlando FreeFall to be taken down following death of teen and more news you may have missed

» Uninsured flood losses from Hurricane Ian expected to top $10 billion

Floridians could have more than $10 billion in uninsured flood losses due to severe damage and flooding from Hurricane Ian, according to an analysis by CoreLogic, a property-information and analytics firm. The analytics firm further estimates that Florida could see $30 billion to $48 billion in insured wind and flood losses in the state. This is due to the fact that most Floridians don’t have flood insurance which is a requirement if they are a resident with mortgages on properties. As a result, many housing markets are facing a hard time adjusting to the aftermath of the devastating storm. Insurance claims continue to rise in Florida’s troubled property insurance industry but there is some good news in the aftermath of Ian, as the Fitch Ratings agency said that there is “minimal and short-lived” damage to toll roads, ports and airports. Many Florida airports and ports have reopened since the storm with Southwest Florida Regional Airport expected to open soon.

» Hurricane Ian insurance claims top 400,000

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation released data that showed 408,078 claims have been filed since the damage and flooding of Hurricane Ian. There are estimated insured losses of $3.66 billion as claims continue to be filed after Ian wrought severe damage to many areas in Florida. The data also showed that 11,618 claims had been closed with payments made while 14,611 claims had been closed without payments.

» Central Florida woman at center of investigation into DeSantis migrant stunt

A former Army combat medic from San Antonio is a “person of interest” in Bexar County’s criminal investigation into flights that stranded migrants in Martha’s Vineyard. Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is looking into the mystery woman, identified as Perla H. Huerta, who lured asylum seekers onto planes bound for Martha’s Vineyard as part of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ cruel publicity stunt. DeSantis responded to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar’s investigation, saying that the migrants willingly boarded the flights. However, lawyers in Massachusetts representing the migrants have pushed back at that claim, arguing that the brochure and paperwork given to migrants by Huerta were deceptive.

» Former Orlando State Attorney aims to unseat Florida AG

Ashley Moody

Aramis Ayala, former Orlando-area State Attorney, is looking to unseat Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody, saying she wants the attorney general to be independent from Tallahassee machinations. However, Moody doesn’t see Ayala as a threat as University of Central Florida political-science professor Aubrey Jewett puts it, Ayala doesn’t necessarily align with the views of the red state of Florida. Considering Moody is favored by many Republican political officials such as Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, Ayala has a “longshot” campaign as she has raised less than $30,000 in the first weeks after her primary victory while Moody has raised $8.13 million since the start of 2019.

» Florida Supreme Court delays case determining whether cops can be considered victims when they shoot someone

The Florida Supreme Court has postponed the 2018 constitutional amendment known as “Marsy’s Law” for the third time. The law was invoked by two Tallahassee police officers to protect their identities after a use-of-force shooting incident in which they argued that they were, in fact, victims. News organizations joined with the city of Tallahassee in demanding the release of the officers’ names. However, the case is delayed once more until a decision is finalized. » Orlando FreeFall to be taken down following death of Missouri teen

Following the death of Missouri teen Tyre Simpson after falling from Icon Park’s Orlando FreeFall ride, the Orlando Slingshot group announced that the ride will be taken down permanently. Orlando Slingshot said in a press release that they are devastated by the young boy’s death and will honor his legacy with a scholarship in his name. Sampson’s death caused protests, investigations and lawsuits after he fell from the ride in spring. Icon Park supported Orlando Slingshot’s decision to take down the ride.

» Visit Florida filming blue skies across the state for post-

Hurricane Ian tourism campaign

Visit Florida, a tourism marketing agency, is launching a new campaign after Hurricane Ian caused devastation across the state. The agency is aiming to counterbalance images of the damage in the media by showing blue sky footage of unaffected areas of Florida as part of a promotional campaign. So far the agency has recorded images from cities in Florida including Orlando, Miami and Tampa and plans to film in St. Augustine and the Florida Keys. “This content, along with PR (public relations) programming and talking points, will be ready to go when the time is right for statewide promotion, including banner ads, video and social (media),” Visit Florida said in a news release. A package for the heavily impacted areas is also under development.