In the Midst of Florida’s Insurance Crisis, What Recourse Do Residents Have?

OKEECHOBEE, Fla.—If you want to get to know this hamlet sprinkled among ranchlands on the north side of Lake Okeechobee, one of the best people to talk to is its mayor, Dowling Watford.

Watford has lived here all his life. A self-described history buff, he can tell you how early in its existence Okeechobee was billed as the Chicago of the South, with ads appearing up north aiming to lure land investors. Instead the northerners flocked to Florida’s coasts, leaving this region relatively untouched by the explosive growth and development that have transformed much of the rest of the state.

“It’s kind of like a big family,” said Watford, an affable silver-haired man who drives a pickup truck and listens to country music. Before he retired he owned a Ford dealership. “If somebody is injured o