Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King released the following statement today in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, the first major hurricane to impact the southeastern United States in 2020:

“Our hearts are heavy today as we see the devastation brought by Hurricane Laura upon our friends in Louisiana and Texas. It is incumbent upon all Georgians to keep those impacted in their thoughts and prayers, and my staff and I encourage those who are able to consider donating to disaster relief organizations that are hard at work supporting families in Hurricane Laura’s path.

While we hope to not see a similar event in Georgia this year, we are asking all Georgia residents and business owners to review their plans for disaster preparedness before any potential storm. Hurricane Laura’s aftermath shows why we believe coastal Georgians should consider purchasing flood insurance. Flood insurance policies take 30 days to go into effect, so don’t wait until it’s too late.

Our office is always here to answer insurance-related questions for disaster preparedness, and more of our tips can be found here. Please follow us on social media for real-time updates, check out our website at oci.ga.gov to see what resources our office provides, and reach out to our call center toll-free at 1-800-656-2298 with any questions.”