Hurricane Milton (2024) and home insurance

Hurricane Milton was the second hurricane to hit Florida in two weeks in 2024, and the larger insured loss of the pair. It made landfall on Siesta Key as a Category 3 and crossed the peninsula, damaging roofs from Sarasota and Tampa Bay to the Atlantic coast. For Florida homeowners still in a dispute, the notice deadlines have passed, but the 5-year window to sue runs until October 2029.

What happened

Milton was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, reaching Category 5 with a central pressure analyzed at 895 mb over the Gulf, according to the National Hurricane Center. It weakened and grew larger on approach and made landfall on Siesta Key at about 8:30 p.m. EDT on October 9, 2024, with winds near 100 knots, then moved east-northeast across the peninsula. FEMA declared major disaster DR-4834 for Florida on October 11, and DR-4844 for the Seminole Tribe of Florida on November 5.

Estimates of insured loss depend on what is counted. Aon puts it at $20.0 billion including the NFIP, calling it the costliest single insured loss event of 2024; Munich Re says $25 billion. Early modeled estimates ran higher, such as Verisk's $30 billion to $50 billion for the private market. Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation, which collects insurer-reported figures for Florida only and excludes the NFIP, showed 385,146 claims, 242,719 of them on homeowners policies, and about $5.6 billion in estimated insured losses as of December 9, 2025.

What to do now

A Milton claim that is still open is almost always a dispute about money. The tools for that in Florida are specific.

1. Ask for the estimate. Florida insurers must send you any detailed estimate within 7 days after their adjuster generates it. Compare it line by line with a contractor's bid (underpaid home insurance claim: how to push back).
2. Use free mediation. The Department of Financial Services runs a mediation program for residential claim disputes of $500 or more after the deductible, and the insurer pays the mediator's fee (state mediation programs for homeowners claims).
3. Consider appraisal if the disagreement is only about the amount, not whether the damage is covered (the appraisal clause: settling a claim value dispute).
4. Know the presuit rules before filing a lawsuit. Florida requires written notice of intent to sue, filed with the Department of Financial Services at least 10 business days before a property suit, and one-way attorney fees for policyholders ended in December 2022. Talk to a lawyer about costs early.

Claim rules and deadlines

For Florida hurricane claims, the statute makes the date of loss the day the hurricane made landfall: October 9, 2024 for Milton. Run your dates through the home insurance claim deadline calculator.

• Notice: a new or reopened claim had to be reported within 1 year (by October 9, 2025) and a supplemental claim within 18 months (by about April 9, 2026). Both windows have closed.
• Insurer clocks: acknowledge within 7 days, inspect within 30 days of proof of loss, pay or deny within 60 days of notice of a claim, reopened claim or supplemental claim.
• Hurricane deductible: applies once per calendar year. A homeowner hit by Helene and Milton in 2024 generally paid one hurricane deductible for the year, not two (hurricane and named-storm deductibles explained).
• Suit: 5 years from the date of loss, to October 2029.

Where to get help

The Department of Financial Services' insurance helpline is 877-693-5236; it takes complaints and runs mediation. FEMA's helpline (800-621-3362) handles existing Milton assistance cases.

What it means for home insurance

Milton landed after Florida's 2022-2023 claim and litigation reforms took effect, so its claims ran on the new clocks above. Prices have since eased for many owners: since January 2024, 48 companies have filed for Florida rate decreases, according to a September 2026 Office of Insurance Regulation release, and Citizens, the state insurer, was down to 254,736 policies in October 2026. The practical lessons for owners are unchanged: know your hurricane deductible in dollars, keep flood coverage separate and in force, and photograph the house every spring. See What Hurricanes Helene and Milton taught homeowners and Citizens Property Insurance in Florida: who qualifies and what to know.