"Fortunately, most touched down in unpopulated areas," he said, adding most of the damage was to trees and public utilities. The most severe weather was in Dade City, about 30 miles northeast of Lakeland, and Chiefland, about 40 miles southwest of Gainesville.

"Everyone I talked to was taken care of through insurance," Nofzinger said. "We got lucky. We got very lucky."

Nofzinger is a retired insurance agent who lives in Sun City Center, Fla., and travels throughout the United States helping UMCOR assess damage from disasters and gauge the type and extent of relief effort needed.