While Hurricanes Debbie, Helen and Milton cost billions, state leaders say we are also paying for storm damage that never occurred. Brandes and state leaders say that's a big part of what's driving up costs to insurance companies, which drives up our premiums. The state Department of Financial Services is responsible for policing contractor insurance fraud, and former State Senator Jeff Brandes says it also has a problem. They show in 2018, state agents made a total of 53 insurance fraud arrests across Florida. In 2022, total contractor insurance fraud arrests ticked up to 54 (back where we were in 2018) with 45 successful prosecutions.