With the arrival of the 2014 storm season, there are numerous articles in the national and local media about the steps consumers should take to prepare for a hurricane, tornado or other storm-related disaster. But no one seems to discuss the need for insurance carriers to make their own advance preparations in the event of a flood of claims.

Following Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, countless homeowners waited weeks to see their first insurance carrier representative. From our work in the Mid-Atlantic region for both homeowners and business owners, it appears that the carriers were simply overwhelmed by the magnitude of the disaster.

One of the keys to successfully managing an unexpected flow of claims is implementing a technology platform that gives carriers and adjusters access to vital information in real time from locations in the field.  A password-protected portion of the platform can be set up for claimants so they can also keep track of what's happening.