A Florida Hurricane Survivor’s Perspective on the Hidden Value of Insurance

On Sept. 27, 2024, the night Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, I watched from a Tampa hotel room as floodwaters surged through my Eden Isle neighborhood in St. Petersburg, via my home’s security camera.

The next morning, before bridges out of Tampa had even reopened, I filed loss claims with the National Flood Insurance Program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and secured a six-month, furnished rental for my family.

My swift actions weren’t lucky, but prescient. They were lessons learned decades earlier when a winter nor’easter swamped my first home on the Connecticut shoreline.

A recent Tampa Bay Business Journal article, “Popularity of ‘Going Naked’ Surges in Florida,” revealed that 22% of Florida homeowners would forego property insurance, if possible, while 8% already have none.

As someone whose home was ravaged by Hurricane Helene and then Hurricane Milton, just 10 days apart, that statistic is unfathomable to me.

Losing your home to a natural disaster is profoundly destabilizing. Nearly six months later, rebuilding remains a challenge despite having insurance. The process is a daunting gauntlet of claims, contractors, permitting and government bureaucracy. Yet insurance has provided a crucial financial foundation amid the chaos.

I understand and share the frustration with Florida’s soaring insurance premiums, which have become unaffordable for many. However, going without insurance creates a vulnerability few can financially withstand. The aftermath of a disaster without coverage can be ruinous economically, emotionally and physically.

Lessons I’ve Learned

Through my experiences, decades apart but eerily similar, I’ve learned several critical lessons:

1. Insurance isn’t just financial protection; it’s peace of mind.

When Helene and Milton hit, I could focus on my family’s immediate safety and stability rather than panicking about how we would rebuild. That mental clarity is invaluable in a crisis.

2. Recovery without insurance is exponentially harder.

FEMA assistance, while helpful, is designed as a stopgap, not a replacement for proper insurance. The maximum FEMA grant, about $41,000 as of 2025, falls dramatically short of what’s needed to rebuild a home in Florida.

3. The uninsured face impossible choices.

As a real estate agent, I’ve met homeowners forced to deplete retirement savings, take on massive debt or walk away from their properties altogether. These agonizing decisions often have lifelong consequences.

As a local Realtor, I have seen countless homeowners make these heartbreaking choices.

Alternatives to Going Without Insurance

For those considering “going naked” due to cost concerns, I urge exploration of alternatives:

• Consider high deductibles rather than no coverage.
• Explore flood insurance through private markets, not just NFIP.
• Investigate common-sense wind mitigation upgrades that can significantly reduce premiums.

In early 2024, I benefitted from a $10,000 matching grant under the Florida Safe Program for such improvements.

Florida’s housing crisis is complex, with insurance availability playing a crucial role. While I understand the financial strain, my experiences have proven that insurance, despite its cost, remains essential in our increasingly volatile climate.

As I rebuild my home for the second time, I’m grateful that insurance has given me a path forward, however difficult.

For those contemplating life without it, I hope you never have to face what I’ve endured, twice.

About the Author

Jonathan Kelly is a St. Petersburg resident and real estate expert with The Tenpenny Collection. Before moving to St. Pete, he built a 20-year career in community development in Washington, D.C. and Boston.

Originally published by the Tampa Bay Business Journal on April 11, 2025.