Florida insurance news, Nov. 1, 2026: a Flood Watch covers Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach into Monday, a federal watchdog says most at-risk properties have no flood coverage, and Florida joins a settlement over driving data sold to insurers
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Three updates for South Florida homeowners, drivers and small-business owners on the first Sunday of November. Each item is summarized in our own words, with a link to the original source.
1.Update: A Flood Watch covers all of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach through Monday afternoon, and the coastal flood advisory now runs through Monday
The National Weather Service in Miami issued a Flood Watch from 10 a.m. Sunday to 3 p.m. Monday for all of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, including Florida City, Homestead and Kendall. Bands of heavy rain could bring 3 to 5 inches in scattered spots and as much as 5 to 7 inches in isolated places, possibly within a few hours, with street flooding and road closures the main risk; forecasters warn impacts could be worse if the heaviest rain falls near the coast at high tide. The Coastal Flood Advisory for minor to moderate tidal flooding on the coast was extended again, to 7 p.m. Monday, and in Monroe County the Key West office issued a Flood Warning for the Lower Keys on Sunday morning after 2 to 4 inches of rain.
Why it matters for you: Turn around at flooded roads: water damage to a car is a comprehensive claim, not collision (comprehensive vs. collision). If water gets into your home or business, take dated photos before you clean up; rising water from streets is usually covered only by a separate flood policy, which generally takes 30 days to start.
Source: National Weather Service Miami,
Source: National Weather Service Miami,
Source: National Weather Service Miami,
Source: National Weather Service Key West,
2.Federal watchdog: 86% of high-risk U.S. properties have no flood insurance, and FEMA maps miss much of the heavy-rain risk
A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), which its analysts presented at an online briefing on Oct. 29, found that as of April 2026, 86% of high-risk properties had no National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) coverage. GAO says the FEMA maps that decide who must buy flood insurance with a federally backed mortgage do not capture all flood risk, especially from heavy rainfall, and estimates that about 13 million high-risk properties sit outside FEMA’s special flood hazard areas. It asks Congress to consider counting heavy-rain risk in those rules, publishing property-level flood risk, requiring lenders to give buyers a flood insurance quote before closing, and raising the NFIP limits, which are still $250,000 for a single-family home and $100,000 for contents.
Why it matters for you: A low-risk flood zone on a map does not mean your street can’t flood, as this weekend’s rain shows. Standard homeowners policies generally exclude flood, so ask us whether a flood policy makes sense for your home; our king tides guide explains the 30-day wait and what a policy covers.
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office,
Source: Louisiana Illuminator,
3.Florida is part of a 36-state settlement with GM over driving data sold to brokers and passed on to insurers
General Motors agreed on Oct. 29 to pay $220 million to a coalition of 36 attorneys general, including Florida’s, over its former Smart Driver program. The states say that from 2016 to 2024 GM tracked trips, hard braking, rapid acceleration and speeding, then sold the data to data brokers who resold it to insurance companies, some of which used it in setting rates, even though GM had told drivers it would not share data with insurers without express consent. The money goes to the states, and under the settlement GM must get drivers’ affirmative express consent before collecting or sharing driving and location data and must train dealerships not to enroll customers without it.
Why it matters for you: Your driving record and, in some cases, data from your car or a phone app can affect your auto insurance. Read what you agree to at the dealership or in a connected-car app, and if your rate changes at renewal, you can ask what information was used. We can review your car insurance and explain what affects it.
Source: Washington State Attorney General,
Source: New York State Attorney General,
This week
Citizens policyholders who received offers for the Nov. 17 takeout round have until Thursday, Nov. 5 to register their choice; if no choice is registered, Citizens assigns the policy to one of the companies that selected it. The National Hurricane Center does not expect any tropical cyclone to form in the next seven days (7 a.m. Sunday outlook). The National Flood Insurance Program remains authorized only through 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2026; in a lapse, existing policies stay in force and valid claims are paid, but FEMA would stop selling and renewing policies.
This roundup is general information, not legal advice or policy language. Each item is our own short summary of the linked original report; details can change after publication, so check the source for the full story. Coverage depends on the terms, limits and exclusions of your policy. Talk with a licensed agent about your situation.