The 2024 hurricane season is predicted to be extremely active, according to established tropical weather forecasters at Colorado State University. To help customers prepare before these events, Citizens will send an informational email to policyholders with wind coverage who are not assumed and have an email on file with us.

How You Can Help Your Customers

The information your agency verifies prior to a hurricane or tropical storm making landfall will help with claims-processing efficiency and improve customer service in case of a catastrophic event:

• Encourage your customers to register for myPolicy so they can view policy, claims, and billing information; upload claim documents; and, if applicable, make premium payments. Policyholders can view and download their policy documents (excluding claims documents). Personal Lines policyholders now have the option to opt in for paperless delivery.
• Provide your Citizens customers our Hurricane Coverage: What You Need to Know brochure. Order this and other brochures by using our online form.
• Verify and update the following:
  • Customer phone numbers, mailing addresses, email addresses, and policy information
  • Mortgagee(s) and additional interests, if applicable
• Review your Citizens book of business to ensure that policyholders have adequate coverage. Agency principals can download their book-of-business listing via myAgency. For details, refer to Page 40 in the myAgency User Guide.
• Ensure your customers understand that hurricane losses should be reported even if they are below the hurricane deductible. These losses count toward meeting the calendar-year hurricane deductible if another hurricane damages the property in the same calendar year.

Binding Suspension

Agents will be notified by email, on the website, and in PolicyCenter® when binding is suspended or restored based on a tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning issued by the National Weather Service for any part of Florida.

During a binding suspension, agents cannot bind applications for new coverage or policy changes for increased coverage; however, they can update policyholder contact information and mortgage company information.

Claims and Loss Reporting

To report a loss, advise policyholders to:

• Submit their claim via myPolicy
• Call you, and you can report it via PolicyCenter
• Call Citizens at our toll-free Claims Hotline: 866.411.2742, which is available 24/7

Note: See the Resources section below for more information.

After filing the claim, advise policyholders to do the following only if they can do so safely:

• Take photos of the damaged property.
• Protect the property from further damage.
• Keep all receipts regarding any repairs and expenses.
• Submit Claim Documents through the Contact Us section of the website or through myPolicy found on the Claims tab if requested by their adjuster.

Ensure your affected Personal Lines policyholders are aware of two important policy provisions that require them to:

• Take reasonable emergency measures for the sole purpose of protecting covered property from further damage when experiencing a loss.
• Give prompt loss notice to Citizens. Except for reasonable emergency measures taken under the policy provisions, there may be no coverage for repairs that begin before one of the following occurs:
  • 72 hours after the loss is reported to Citizens
  • Loss is inspected by Citizens
  • Verbal or written approval is provided by Citizens

myPolicy and Paperless Delivery

Citizens encourages first-named insureds with a valid email address on file with Citizens to register and/or activate their myPolicy account. Policyholders with active accounts can:

• Report and view claims online and upload claim documents.
• Make payments online.
• Access policy and billing documents.

With paperless delivery, Personal Lines policyholders can:

• Reduce the risk of mail fraud.
• Receive email notifications when new policy documents and billing invoices are available in lieu of mailed documents resulting in earlier notification.

Catastrophe Response Centers

If Florida is impacted by a storm, Citizens may set up one or more Catastrophe Response Centers (CRCs), as needed, to provide immediate response to policyholders. Agents will be notified once a site is determined. CRC staff will:

• Process first notices of loss.
• Make advance payments for additional living expenses, when warranted.
• Answer questions and offer general assistance.

Resources

For more information about claims reporting and storm preparation, see Citizens’ online resources:

• In the Training section of the Agents site, on both the Commercial Job Aids and Personal Job Aids pages:
  • First Notice of Loss (FNOL) job aid
  • Claims Information and Loss Run Report in PolicyCenter job aid
  • Personal Lines: Adding, Updating or Removing the Mortgagee or Payor job aid
  • Commercial Lines: Adding, Updating or Removing the Mortgagee or Payor job aid
• FAQs and search by keywords:
  • FNOL
  • Claims
  • +Loss +run +reports
• How do I submit a claim in myPolicy? FAQ 3893 (for registered policyholders)
• myPolicy Guide job aid
• Claims section on the Public site
• Storms section on the Public site
• Brochures page on the Public site, which is accessible from the Learning section
• Quick Reference for Agents: Hurricane Coverages for Personal Lines and Quick Reference for Agents: Hurricane Coverages for Commercial Lines

Other helpful webpages include:

• Hurricane Ready
• Thunderstorm Ready

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