NEW ORLEANS — As of February, Hurricane Ida has cost Louisiana $75 million, making it one of the most expensive storms on record. A year later residents are still trying to get insurance to fix damages.
More than a dozen insurance companies have left the state. Homeowners are now scrambling for coverage. Many Louisiana residents are fed up with homeowners insurance and price hikes, along with the difficulty of getting coverage.
"I have been insuring my home for more than 20 years," One resident said. “After Ida, the insurance company went under, so Louisiana Guarantee took over. It’s been a hassle just trying to get them to pay for the roof."
More than a year later, she said she's still dealing with leaks after roof damage from Ida.
“I need a roof, cause it’s still leaking and it’s getting worse and I am putting things in the attic to catch water, and I shouldn’t have to do that," she said.
Frustrated residents are finally able to ask how to manage their policy at Tuesday's "Know Your Policy Event." The goal of the session is to answer questions and ease concerns for policyholders, to ensure they know the proper steps to take if they need to make a claim.
“To get with them before the next storm hits, to help them understand not only what’s going in the insurance market that affects them but the basic policy," Ron Camarota with the Louisiana Department of Insurance's office said.
Some insurance companies stopped writing policies in certain areas, citing recent hurricanes, especially Delta, Laura, and Ida, as the reason why.
“Even those that haven’t been affected they’re worrying if their insurance company is going to go under,” Camarota said.
Last week, Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon announced Louisiana Citizens Insurance had submitted a request to increase plans price by 63%.
A price hike that would be a huge blow to thousands of homeowners across the state. However, nothing is final yet, the commissioner said he is the one who decides whether to approve the rate or not.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.