Articles by Amy O'Connor

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

25 Years Later…What If an Andrew-Type Storm Hit Florida Today?

Though Florida hasn’t suffered a category 5 storm since Hurricane Andrew hit the north Miami area on Aug. 24 1992, the risk of such a storm has not gone away or even declined. In fact, the state’s risk of destruction …

25 Years Later: How Florida’s Insurance Industry Has Changed Since Hurricane Andrew

Aug. 24, 1992 was anything but a typical Monday for Robert Reynolds as he drove through debris-filled roads and devastation on the way to his family-run agency then located just north of Homestead, Fla. Hurricane Andrew had just barreled through …

Florida Domestic Insurer Sawgrass Mutual to ‘Wind Down’ Operations

Just a day after being downgraded by ratings agency Demotech, Florida-based insurer Sawgrass Mutual Insurance Company has revealed it is under administrative supervision by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. According to an amended consent order for administrative supervision dated …

Online Property Management Service Cozy Takes On Renters Insurance Market

The renters insurance market has been a hard nut to crack for the industry, but an insurance carrier and online rental service platform hope their partnership may be the secret to breaking through. Cozy, an online property management site for …

Georgia Insurance Commissioner Hudgens Announces He Will Not Seek Re-Election In 2018

Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens will not seek re-election for a third term as Georgia’s Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, according to a statement from the Georgia Department of Insurance. In a letter to Georgians, Hudgens announced his decision, saying …

Youth Activist Urges Industry to Step Up Fight Against Climate Change

Seventeen-year-old climate activist Delaney Reynolds has a message for the insurance industry on the topic of climate change: It’s time to step up and take action against this global crisis. “Your future customers understand that we have a problem, and …

Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Appoints New Chief of Staff, Deputy Commissioners

Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier has appointed Michael Yaworsky as the new chief of staff for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), replacing former Chief of Staff Belinda Miller, who retired at the beginning of July. Miller worked at …

Compare.com Is Proof Insurance Disruption Won’t Happen Overnight: CEO Rose

Disrupting an industry that has been doing things the same way for a generation takes time. Take it from one major insurance disruptor – compare.com. The online insurance comparison marketplace launched in the U.S. in 2013 and now operates in …

Private Insurers Cautiously Dip Toes Into Florida Flood Market Waters

Florida’s efforts in establishing a private flood insurance market have been hailed as a model by many other states looking to buff up their flood insurance offerings, as well as the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to follow as lawmakers …

Report: The Southeast’s Storm Surge Risk and Florida’s Hurricane Wake-Up Call

The Southeast has seen its fair share of natural disasters and flooding in the last several years, including two hurricanes in Florida last year – the first hurricanes to hit the state in more than a decade. But none of …