Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Settling cracks vs hurricane damage

I live in Central Florida and got hit by three out of four hurricanes in August 2004. I am currently fighting with the insurance company over cracks in the exterior of my home. It is cinder block constuction with a stucco texture built in 1984. In '95 when I moved in, I had the house professionally painted which included sealing any existing cracks. In march of 2004 I re-painted the exterior myself and there were very few cracks that I had to seal. Now that the hurricanes have gone through, I have cracks on all exterior walls of the house and all of the window sills are cracked. There are stairstep, horizontal and vertical cracks everywhere. Some extend several feet and one half-wall on the back porch is wobbly. The adjuster is saying that the cracks are normal/natural settling of the house. I'm no structural engineer but, it's pretty obvious to me that these are fresh cracks that were caused by the hurricane(s). I had the original painter draft a letter indicating the condition of the exterior of the home when he painted. I'm hoping that they subscribe to "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" theory, becuse I'm becoming very squeaky. This outside damage is holding up the entire repair process because I don't want to begin any repairs without being sure that this is not a bigger problem that meets the eye. Any ammunition that anyone can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Hey! I am having a similar problem in that I feel this past summer's torrential rains are causing settlement problems. We're also in Florida. But our insurance policy says they do not cover repairs due to earth movement.

Is your insurance company willing to pay for the damages?

No, my insurance company is fighting me about paying for the damages. My contention is that the damage was caused by the hurricanes and is NOT normal/natural settling. My damage was specifically caused by hurricane Charley on Aug 13 high winds, flying debris, etc.. Diana, you may have a difficult time getting insurance to pay for settling caused by torrential downpours.

I too have the exact problem you describe. I know for a fact that I didn't have all the cracks before the hurricanes. I had some, but now just about every window has a crack at each bottom corner going down and away. Plus, I have a couple of places with the stair stepping cracks. I think stucco is the worst stuff ever invented. And, yes, my insurance company will not help.