Hurricane Ida: A Recap and Claims Update One Year Later

8/18/2022 (Permalink)

Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on August 29, 2021

August 29^th marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida making landfall in Louisiana. Hurricane Ida was the second-most damaging hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana behind Hurricane Katrina. A year later, many of our communities throughout the state are still recovering. As we continue to rebuild, we can assess the impact of Hurricane Ida and learn how to prepare for future storms.

Hurricane Ida Facts

• Hurricane Ida made landfall on August 29, 2021, near Port Fourchon, Louisiana as a Cat 4 storm with 150 mph sustained winds.
• Hurricane Ida affected 25 parishes in Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast region before making its way up the East Coast causing damages in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
• Hurricane Ida was the 5^th costliest tropical cyclone on record and the fourth costliest Atlantic hurricane in the US causing at least $75.25 billion dollars in damages.
• Hurricane Ida produced 35 known tornadoes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Virginia.
• In Louisiana, more than one million people were without power. In Mississippi, 113,000 people lost electricity on August 30^th. Most properties had power restored within ten days.

Hurricane Ida Louisiana Claims Data

On August 1^st, the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) Commissioner Jim Donelon released the third measure of Hurricane Ida data. The following claims information is conclusive as of June 30^th. LDI will continue collecting data from property and casualty insurers and will release a fourth and final Hurricane Ida claims data report this fall. Please note that the following facts do not include data from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as LDI does not regulate NFIP.

• Insurers have paid or reserved to pay $13.1 billion on all types of Hurricane Ida-related claims in Louisiana.
• Policyholders have filed 460,709 claims of all types. Of those claims, 299,440, or 65%, were closed with payment.
• The total number of residential property claims is 359,548.  Of those claims, 88% are closed and 63% were closed with payment.
• The total number of commercial property claims is 29,876. Of those claims, 71% are closed and 45% were closed with payment.
• The total number of private flood claims is 662. Of those claims, 91% are closed and 52% were closed with payment.

SERVPRO's Response to Hurricane Ida

After Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana, SERVPRO of Greater Covington and Mandeville and every other SERVPRO franchise in our state were inundated with phone calls requesting restoration services. Our office alone received hundreds of phone calls within the first couple of weeks after the storm. Homeowners and business owners needed everything from roof tarping and tree removal to flood cleanup and water damage mitigation services. While SERVPRO of Greater Covington and Mandeville and other local SERVPRO franchises immediately began helping our community recover, SERVPRO franchises from all over the United States rushed into Louisiana to provide more resources.

SERVPRO’s corporate office received 5,683 phone calls from Louisiana residents after Hurricane Ida. Storm teams across the country quickly mobilized to lend a hand. Forty out-of-state independently owned and operated SERVPRO franchises with approximately one hundred restoration crews helped us provide emergency restoration services in Louisiana. From large loss teams to smaller franchise teams, SERVPRO crews helped restore thousands of businesses and homes.

Hurricane Resources

• Hurricane Ida Insurance Mediation and Complaint Information
• Hurricane preparedness tips from Ready.gov
• What to do before a tropical storm or hurricane 
• How to build a home emergency kit

Other Reports and Data on Hurricane Ida  

• https://www.weather.gov/lch/2021Ida
• https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092021_Ida.pdf