(Editor's Note: This article has been contributedby Howard Altschule, a forensic meteorologist and president ofForensic WeatherConsultants, LLC.)

Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy (formerly known as Hurricane Sandy)made landfall over Atlantic City, N.J. at 8:00 p.m. EDT on October29, 2012 with sustained winds of 80 miles per hour. Theeffects of the storm were felt far and wide, as the strong windsand storm surge occurred far from where the storm madelandfall. Record-breaking storm surge, hurricane-force winds,widespread wind damage and power outages haveresulted. Unfortunately, the storm also caused numerousinjuries and fatalities.

With such an intense storm occurring in some of the biggestcities in the world, an enormous number of insurance claims arealready being submitted to various insurance companies. As isoften the case with storms of this magnitude, lawsuits involvingweather-related issues may soon follow. As a forensicmeteorologist who has worked on more than 1,800 casesnationwide, including many from Hurricane Katrina, Ike, Ivan, Ireneand Wilma, I know how important accurate weatherinformation can be in resolving insurance claims and litigationsfairly.

Typical Duties and Expertise

It is important for claims adjusters to use the services of ameteorologist who has the credentials and background to gather theofficial weather records; know what's available; perform a fair andunbiased analysis; and render opinions and findings based onsound, scientific principles. The data used should be fromofficial sources that forensic meteorologists rely upon during thenormal course of business. The forensicmeteorologist selected by claims should be able to reviewother expert reports and incident photographs, prepare affidavits,do site visits, and have experience in depositions and livecourtroom testimony.

The following are some common types of cases following thepassage of a hurricane or windstorm for which insurers may solicitthe expertise of a forensic meteorologist. We'll also examinethe data these scientists use to determine damages accuratelyin order for the ensuing P&C claims to be handled properly.

Wind Vs. Water

Using the latest technology and atmospheric computer models, theForensic Hurricane Model is able to determine what the sustainedwind speeds and wind gusts were every 15 minutes during the courseof a storm at a specific loss address. Thousands of data reports from a variety ofsources are assimilated and physics-based processes are run todetermine what the conditions were during the course of thestorm. This combined with storm surge/tide datahelps forensic experts determine what the wind and surgeconditions likely were at a specific address. The data can be usedin conjunction with other official weather data, bulletins andreports to determine if the storm was a named storm at the time oflandfall and if named-storm deductibles were triggered. Thedata can be presented in detailed tables and graphs, andthese reports can then be used to make coverage decisionsnecessary for claims processing and resolving any litigationthat could arise.

See related:The Debate About Hurricane Deductibles Begins

From Wind: Downed Trees, Roof and StructuralDamage

Windstorms, hurricanes and Nor'Easters all have the potential tocause different kinds of damage over short distances due to manylocalized effects. Some areas may see strong winds capable ofcausing damage, and other areas may experience much lesswind. The importance of accurate weather information(including Doppler radar imagery) is very important because it canhelp determine if the winds were capable of causing the type ofdamage that the claims adjuster observed or if the damage appeared“old” and may have been there previously.

During “Sandy,” numerous reports were received of trees fallingonto houses and cars. Unfortunately, many fatalities werereported from falling trees as well. Using the official weatherdata such as surface observations, mesonet data, various Dopplerradar products and storm reports, wind speeds in the vicinity ofthe incident location can be determined. This data can be usedby engineers or tree experts to help determine if the winds werecapable of causing the damage to a tree or not. In some cases, thetrees were rotted and it didn't take much wind to knock themdown. In other cases, the wind speeds were of sufficient speedto cause damage to normally healthy trees. We can also determine iftornado activity was indicated near the loss location, a commonoccurrence in the right-front quadrant of some well-organizedtropical systems. Weather data of this type has also been usedin cases where windows of hotels or condos were broken when theywere rated to withstand winds well above what was observed.

Rainfall Flooding: Roof Leaks, Flooded Basements,Damaged Vehicles

Tropical systems often have a lot of rain associated with themdue their tropical nature, and Nor'Easters can also produce veryheavy rain and flooding. When flood-damage or personal-injury casesinvolving rainfall arise, numerous types of weather data can beused to get an accurate interpretation of how much rain fell. Usingsurface observations, cooperative observer data, mesonet data,storm reports and Doppler radar rainfall-accumulation productszoomed in over the incident location, specific rainfall amounts canbe determined where the loss occurred. In addition, duringflood situations the rainfall amounts that are determined can alsobe compared to 50- or 100-year storms through climate research.

With the various types of incidents and accidents that can anddo occur with tropical systems and Nor'Easters, it's very importantto have accurate, thorough and detailed weather information andrecords. Even more important is knowing what records areavailable and how to interpret them accurately. When it comesto hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in damages orclaims, it is always better to rely on a seasoned forensicmeteorologist who has the background, education and experience totell you, confidently, what the weather conditions were based onthe supporting data. I suspect the use of forensicmeteorologists in post-Sandy claims and litigation will be on therise.