Today, we recognize the strength, resilience and memory of all Louisiana residents who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina. While many years have passed, the lessons learned from that storm are vital to protecting our homes, families, and communities today. ​We are now in peak hurricane season. This means it is important to be proactive and prepared. ​Take these steps to protect what matters most: *​Know Your Policy: Check your homeowners and flood insurance policies for deductibles, coverages, and exclusions. *​Create a Home Inventory: Take photo and video records of your belongings. *​Secure Key Documents: Keep policy numbers and insurer contact info stored digitally and in a waterproof bag. ​Visit the Louisiana Department of Insurance to learn how to #BeInsuranceReady: 🔗 ldi.la.gov

𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲. It was exciting to be in Vermilion Parish for the Starbase Louisiana announcement. This $100 billion launch facility is an incredible opportunity for Louisiana. SpaceX is also investing in coastal restoration as part of the project. 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲. I applaud Governor Landry’s leadership, as well as the hard work of Secretary Bourgeois, legislators, and all others involved in making this happen.

What a historic day for our state. It was exciting to be in Vermilion Parish today for the Starbase Louisiana announcement. This $100 billion launch facility is an incredible opportunity for Louisiana. @SpaceX is also investing in coastal restoration as part of the project.
 
News like this shows that confidence in Louisiana is on the rise. I applaud Governor Landry’s leadership, as well as the hard work of Secretary Bourgeois, legislators, and all others involved in making this happen. 

In the meantime, our efforts to strengthen Louisiana’s insurance market continue as we work to lay a solid foundation for residents, businesses and future economic development in our state.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 It’s not just what your insurance policy covers that protects you, it’s what you know about your policy and what you know about the risks that you might face. In this article from the @ijournal, experts say, "On the ground 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙨 in a single hurricane season." 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻: ▪️ 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀: Help policyholders understand the possibility of flooding even when living outside of a FEMA flood zone. ▪️ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: Have discussions between insurers and policyholders about making homes and businesses more resilient to storm damage. ▪️ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Insurers should connect policyholders to high-preforming remediation crews when there are damages. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: buff.ly/d7MpYPT

Speaking to the 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 members this week, @CommTemple had the opportunity to 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗲𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. “State agencies like mine owe it to our constituents and to our partners at the local and parish level—partners like you—to be ready and help where we can. That is why we are working with local officials and state agencies to urge residents to prepare for the worst but hope for the best.”

I was honored to attend the @LAStatePolice 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆 today as 𝗖𝗼𝗹. 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 became LSP’s 28th Superintendent. Our partnership with State Police is vital to stopping insurance fraud and protecting Louisiana citizens. I look forward to working with Col. Besson as we continue that mission.

Senator Larry Selders was a true public servant who was dedicated to serving his community and his state. He had an unwavering commitment to improving health, expanding access to mental health care, and championing legislation to protect and support Louisiana’s children. His advocacy on behalf of his constituents as a State Representative and State Senator leaves an enduring legacy. On behalf of the Louisiana Department of Insurance, I send our heartfelt prayers and deepest condolences to his family, friends and the entire Baton Rouge community during this difficult time.

I was on the road with our LDI outreach team in St. Landry Parish today for our second Pop-Up Office, addressing vital flood recovery and insurance concerns after TS Arthur. Huge thanks to the 𝗦𝘁. 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳’𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 team in LeBeau for hosting us as we work face-to-face with local residents. And, special thanks to TV stations @KLFY and @YourNews15 who helped us spread the word about our Pop-Up office. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺, look here for answers: buff.ly/14OAA1I

I have been in contact with several officials from across the state today with reports of significant flood, tornado and other wind damage sustained from Tropical Storm Arthur. My thoughts are with those who have been impacted by the storm. I'd like to remind policyholders who were affected to contact their insurance company or agent first to file a claim. Here are a few important things to remember about filing an insurance claim for this sort of damage. First, flood damage is not covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy. Most flood policies are written through the NFIP, although some flood insurance is written outside of that program. Contact your flood insurance agent or company if you need to file a claim, or contact the NFIP at floodsmart.gov or 800-621-3362 if you need help. Second, when filing a claim, try to have your policy number and an initial damage assessment ready when you call your insurer. Take as many photos and videos of the damage as you can, and don't throw anything away. You must mitigate further damage by making temporary repairs, like tarping a roof. Keep receipts for those materials. Last, once you start any repair’s, be on the lookout for contractor fraud. Be sure to check for licensure and identification before moving forward with any contractor or adjuster. The LDI has a new Storm Resource Center with more detailed tips at LDI.LA.GOV. I encourage you to visit our site if you need help. If you were affected by the storm, your La. Dept of Ins. is here to help.

Thank you to the @NAHREP for hosting a fantastic Housing Summit! It was an honor to speak and share our vision for a stronger, more resilient Louisiana housing market. We’re moving the needle by: 🔹 Improving the industry's regulatory & legal environment 🔹 Supporting the enforcement of stronger building codes 🔹 Incentivizing storm mitigation via the Louisiana Fortified Homes Program We appreciate the chance to highlight the work underway to protect policyholders and expand affordable housing opportunities across our state. #NAHREP #HousingMarket #Resilience #FortifiedHome

I had a productive conversation with the Rotary Club of Shreveport yesterday about the state of our insurance market. I shared with the group that reforms that were passed in last few years are taking hold, and the market is improving. If you haven't shopped your homeowners or auto policies lately, now is the time to look for a better deal.

Great start to the day with the @ThibChamber! We discussed the 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 and 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆𝘀 —key tools for coastal resilience. Resilience isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the foundation for an affordable, available insurance market.

It was a productive day, meeting with @IBHS_org and my colleague, 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗙𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗿. Together, we discussed the incredible progress our states are making with the @FORTIFIEDHOME standard. This is important to homeowners because Louisiana and Alabama aren't just participating in resilient construction—we are leading the nation. By increasing uptake of FORTIFIED standards, we are helping homeowners build stronger, safer and more insurable communities.

Big thanks to Deirdre Manna of @ZurichNA for having me on "Connections from the Green" at this year’s @Zurich_Classic! We had a great discussion on the state of the insurance market. As I mentioned on the show, the most effective way to lower your premiums is to shop your coverage. We are hearing from Louisianans every day who are saving significant amounts on both homeowners and auto insurance simply by comparing options.

I enjoyed meeting the residents of Franklin at a great Town Hall event in Franklin! I’m proud to see our LDI team meeting residents where they live through our new "Pop-Up Office Hours." With hurricane season approaching, my message is simple: Be Insurance Ready. Review your policy, discuss potential out-of-pocket costs with your agent, and keep your documentation handy in case you need to file a claim. Stay prepared, Louisiana. #LDI #BeInsuranceReady #FranklinLA #LouisianaReady

I was glad to be able to participate as a panelist at the @NatHurricaneCon in Florida where the topic was the importance of building more resilient structures. Like Florida, Louisiana experiences its share of hurricanes, and the discussion allowed me to 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮.

"I truly enjoyed the opportunity to sit down with the 𝗖𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 in New Orleans today. It was a productive session centered on one clear goal: 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲. My thanks to the CJRG for the warm welcome and the vital conversation."