For states in the gulf, hurricane season is always a threat to the overall safety and economic status. In fact, Hurricane season 2017 was the most expensive in American history in terms of damages and overall cost as three devastating megastorms (Harvey, Irma and Maria) battered the region.
As the Gulf region prepares for Hurricane Season 2018, there are a number of things to look back over to make sure the same mistakes in preparation aren’t made. From proper insurance coverage to disaster resource allocation, here’s what businesses in the region can learn from.
You Can’t Plan Enough
Hurricane Irma laid waste to a number of business properties and residential areas throughout the United States’ southeastern seaboard. In some cases, businesses were completely wiped out or were so far underwater, literally, that they had to rebuild from the ground up or just move to another location. A major factor in loss was due to flood damage, which should be stressed as far as preparation for this year’s hurricane season.
Each Storm is Unique
No two storms are alike, and when three megastorms hit, it only added more destruction. Last year’s hurricane season demonstrated that even the best-laid plans are hard to stick to when the unexpected happens. Within a matter of weeks, the three major storms made landfall, completely doing away with whatever preparedness plans businesses had to combat the anticipated destruction. This led to additional costs after the storms calmed as building materials became low on availability, causing delays in rebuilding.
Resource Access to Disaster Zones
Loss adjusters were either too stretched out due to the abundance of loss or just not prepared enough to meet the challenge of such an onslaught of liabilities. Getting loss adjusters to disaster-hit areas in the Gulf was somewhat difficult and more remote regions proved to be even more difficult. In fact, Puerto Rico is still having issues with getting power back up and running. This is something that insurance companies, local business, and local governments are taking into account for this year.
Insurance Claims
Insurance claims for businesses following a major storm should be done as quickly as possible. Once these claims get made, operations can be underway to help rebuild. Insurers now use satellite imaging to assess damage in remote or hard to access area and some are also looking at how to augment their loss data and get real-time information about losses in disaster areas.
Don’t let a storm catch you off guard. Contact your local Orlando insurance agency today and discuss how you can be covered.