El Niño gets a lot ofpublicity in relation to major storms, such as Hurricane Patriciaor severe blizzards, but it can have an impact on day-to-dayweather as well, explains Elaine Montgomery-Baisden, vice presidentand chief underwriting officer, Personal Insurance, forTravelers.

What is “El Niño”? The National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration defines it as a weather pattern characterized byunusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific. ElNiño is credited (or blamed) for increased rainfall across thesouthern tier of the U.S., which has caused destructive flooding,and for drought in the West Pacific.

Jim Gustin, property technical director for Travelers RiskControl Department, who is a civil engineer by education and fireprotection engineer by craft, says that from a risk-controlstandpoint, all of the predictions about El Niño lasting into thespring of 2016 give insurance agents the opportunity to talk toclients about storm preparations and property coverage.

Flood risk assessment

Agents should do a full review of their customers' deductibles.If clients live close to water—the ocean, a lake, a river or otherlow-lying areas—do they have flood insurance? Damage from floodingisn't covered under the standard Homeowners' policy. Also, whatkind of coverage do they have for contents, which a flood policylimits? Gustin recommends that agents ask their clients:

• Would your sump pump operate, if you lost power?

• Does the property have an emergency generator to supply power tothe sump pumps to prevent flooding if the power goes out?

• Does the area have back pump preventers installed on sewerdrains to prevent debris from coming back up to the building?

El Niño could delay the start of winter but make it last longer,Montgomery-Baisden says. Local ordinances may require propertyowners to keep public sidewalks and driveways clear of ice or snow.Clients also should note whether those surfaces are deterioratingbecause of heavy rain, flooding, ice and snow so they can berepaired before winter sets in.

Roof inspections

Gustin recommends asking insureds to trim trees and remove deadbranches, making sure that those that can fall due to wind, ice orsnow are trimmed away from the facility. Have clients “check theflashing on the roof to make sure that it's in good condition,” hesays, “and that it's sealed down to help prevent water penetration.It also prevents wind damage to the roof covering.”

Whether a building has gutters and downspouts or center roofdrains, make sure those are clear to prevent roof overloading,which can lead to a roof collapse. When those drain, “Does the landslope away from the building? If you do get more rain in a shorterperiod of time than the typical storm, will it flow away from thebuilding, not into a crawl space or basement?”

For commercial clients, Gustin recommends roof inspections on amonthly basis as a best practice. “You can get storms, dirt anddebris, you may get wind, and you also get contractors on the roofservicing HVAC equipment, for example. Have they left anythingbehind?” he asks. “Have they caused any damage that needs to berepaired?”

Emergency planning

Agents can also take the opportunity to discuss emergencyplanning, reminding homeowners that such plans aren't just forbusinesses. “You should know how to reach all family members,”Montgomery-Baisden advises, “and have a meeting place picked out.”She also reminds people to think about how they would get pets, theelderly or disabled family members to safety, especially if theyhave to evacuate out a second-story window.

Gustin notes that a difficult group of clients for many agentsto reach are small to mid-size businesses because they don't haveas many employees or staff. They are also less likely to havewritten business continuity plans or recovery plans. Therefore,when they're faced with a weather emergency, they're typically morelikely to not reopen.