South Florida insurance companies may have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses due to heavy rains since June 11, according to Aon.

State Farm received nearly 1,200 vehicle claims following the tropical disturbance that caused heavy rains and flooding, company spokesman Michel Breuer said. Most of these claims are related to flood damage.

According to AM Best, Brewer noted that the number of claims could increase if additional rain is expected and as more drivers discover damage to their vehicles.

State Farm is the third-largest homeowner’s and personal auto insurer in the state based on direct premiums written in 2023.

Aon reported that floodwaters affected many homes, vehicles and roads, with potential insured damages reaching hundreds of millions of dollars.

Urban coastal areas on the east and west coasts of Florida were particularly affected. The heavy rains fell at the beginning of what is expected to be an active hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean.

Up to 20 inches of rain fell in parts of heavily urbanized Miami-Dade and neighboring Broward counties, which includes Fort Lauderdale, according to a statement from the governor’s office. Areas from the Florida Keys to west-central Florida faced risks of flash flooding.

Read more: Insurance companies are on alert as the Florida flood emergency worsens

The state of emergency prompted Governor Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency in those counties, along with Collier, Lee and Sarasota counties on the West Coast.

During a news conference, DeSantis said the state has seen similar events in the past, but the impacts have increased with development. He stressed the state’s efforts to mitigate damage to infrastructure.

“As a tropical country, there are things we deal with,” he said. “We don’t want our energy policy to be driven by climate ideology. When that happens, people pay more and our energy is less reliable… No matter what you choose, it’s not going to stop us from having tropical weather in the tropical season… When we have hurricane disruptions, we “We will get the lights back on as soon as possible.”

State officials noted that residential damage from the flooding is not expected to trigger a federal disaster designation.

What do you think of this story? Feel free to share your comments below.