Claims News Service, Nov. 2, 9:01 a.m. EST -- Major hurricanes, such as the ones that have ravaged the Gulf Coast states in the past two years, have had a significant negative impact on homeowners' insurance customer satisfaction in those states, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Homeowners Insurance Study.

For the homeowners' insurance industry overall, customer satisfaction has remained stable compared to the 2004 study. However, satisfaction levels differ significantly from state to state. For example, in Florida, where four major hurricanes occurred in 2004, claim satisfaction is almost 10 percent lower than the rest of the nation.

Recent catastrophes coupled with serious underinsurance of properties create the potential for disappointed customers as claims are settled. Although study respondents indicate they've owned their primary residence for an average of 16 years, only about one-half of homeowners have had their home's replacement cost value updated in that time. Compounding the problem for consumers and carriers alike, home improvement projects often increase a home's value. According to the study, while 41 percent of homeowners reported they made significant structural changes to their home, 37 percent did not notify their insurer of these changes.