Articles by Amy O'Connor

O'Connor is the Southeast editor for Insurance Journal and associate editor of MyNewMarkets.com.

Central Mississippi Hit by Flooding from Heavy Rains

Parts of Mississippi continue to deal with river flooding as rains continue to fall. The National Weather Service had a flood warning through Sunday night for Tallahala Creek at Laurel in Jones County. A warning was also in effect for …

Associated Agencies Taps Shapiro to Expand Southeast Presence

Associated Agencies, Inc. has hired Stuart Shapiro as an account executive on its sales team. Shapiro will be responsible for expanding Associated Agencies’ presence in the Southeast, specifically in the Atlanta market. He will focus on building insurance programs for …

Southeast Officials Focus on Curbing Fraud, Rising Auto Rates, Flood Insurance, and Distracted Driving

For the seventh year in a row, the Florida insurance industry, regulators, and consumer advocates will push for reforms to the state’s assignment of benefits issue that has now become an insurance crisis, according to a report from the Insurance …

Florida Regulator Calls on Insurers to Handle Hurricane Michael Claims

Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier is urging Florida insurers to close the more than 42,000 Hurricane Michael claims that remain open nearly three months after the storm. In a Dec. 19 memorandum to all property and casualty insurers authorized to …

Insurance Journal Southeast’s Top Stories for 2018: Fraud, Hurricanes, Data Security Law

It was a busy year in the Southeast with two major hurricanes that wreaked havoc on the region, an escalating insurance crisis in Florida, and a new industry-specific cybersecurity law in South Carolina that takes effect Jan. 1, 2019. Here …

Aloisi Opens Brightway Insurance Agency in Florida

Lucas Aloisi has opened a Brightway Insurance Agency located in Parkland, Fla. Brightway, The Aloisi Agency is located at 6600 Parkside Drive, Unit 6680 in Parkland, Fla. The agency offers customized home, condo, renters, auto, flood, RV, motorcycle, boat, life …

Hurricane Michael Recovery Goes On for Florida Agents

The page has finally turned on the tumultuous 2018 hurricane season, but for the agents who live and work in the Florida Panhandle, the story isn’t over – personally or professionally. “We all still feel like we’re in hurricane mode …

Citizens to Request 8.2% Rate Increase from Florida Regulators

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will file for a statewide average increase of 8.2 percent for personal lines policyholders – homeowners, condominium owners and renters. The Florida insurer of last resort’s Board of Governors on Wednesday approved a 2019 rate package …

2 Tornadoes Cause Damage in Alabama

The National Weather Service says it has confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in Alabama last weekend. The emergency management director for Dothan and Houston County, Chris Judah, says a weak twister hit Dothan early Sunday. Judah tells the Dothan …

Florida Insurance Agents Improvise to Stay Connected During Hurricane Michael Recovery

The page has finally turned on the tumultuous 2018 hurricane season, but for the agents who live and work in the Florida Panhandle the story isn’t over – personally or professionally. “We all still feel like we’re in hurricane mode …