ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.—Agents are among the first to reach out totheir clients after catastrophe strikes, but a veteran of HurricaneKatrina says with all the stress surrounding these events, agentsneed to realize the importance of not neglecting themselves.

Richard A. Clements, the principal of Clements InsuranceServices in Chalmette, La., says he received a call one day from aninsurance company vice president telling him, “Hey, look stupid,you have to take care of yourself; this is more than just aboutyour policyholders. This is about you too. Every day you have toget yourself a little bit of exercise; you got to get to sleep andyou have to take time just for yourself. Don't wear yourself out,because you are going to.” He adds, “Boy, you don't know how thosewords rang true.”

Clements observation was one of five stories heard during apanel discussion “Super Lessons Learned from a Superstorm” heldhere during the joint annual conference of the ProfessionalInsurance Agents of New Jersey and New York on Sunday.

Relating his experience with Katrina in 2005, which displacedhis agency from its office in the New Orleans area for eightmonths, Clements warns that when there is a mega-event one betterhave a mega-plan, but don't be surprised if it does not workbecause the unforeseen happens.

“Be patient; be patient; be patient,” he says, emphasizing therewill be stress, and one needs to accept it and work through it. Forhelp, agents will find the places to turn will be companyrepresentatives and agent associations who have no shortage ofdesire to help. However, at some point, he told attendees, peoplewho have not lived through these events reach “Sandy fatigue” anddo not want to hear about it anymore. That does not mean those whowent through it should forget it; they never will.

For Lloyd H. Bush, an agent with Keer & Heyer InsuranceAgency in Pt. Pleasant Beach, N.J., says the raised Amtrak railroadbed stopped Sandy's storm surge from destroying the agency sittinga short distance from the shore. Despite the loss of power,internet access, and difficulty with phone service, his agency wentto work filing claims within days.

One major challenge for any agent is dealing with the impact ofthe catastrophe on their own home and family while assistingclients. For him, that meant lighting a fire each morning and nightin the house so his family could have some heat. Today, he says,his home still sits gutted awaiting repair.

Justin Fries, chief operating officer and vice president atGarber Atlas Fries & Associates in Oceanside, N.Y., toldhis story of his agency of the flood to his agency and thedestruction of his computer servers. He thought the office was farenough inland that it would suffer possibly minor damage. Sandyclosed his office for almost four months. He says a major lessonfor his firm was the need for vendors to provide back-up servicesfar from the office. The vendor providing back-up data service wasunable to because they were in the New York area and the stormknocked out their ability to deliver services. He says his firm isseeking providers out in the Western states.

At the company level, Lisa Tepper, regional vice president forTravelers, says the claims section needs to lead the way after acatastrophe. The company cannot turn to producing business instricken areas so soon after the event. The focus needs to remainon claims, and managers need to work with one another andunderstand the challenges customers and employees face in regionsstruck by catastrophe.

Ed Fernandez, president of the independent agent division ofPlymouth Rock, a northeast regional insurer, says it worked claimstriage, telling customers with a food spoilage claim—forexample—that it would be 30 days before an adjuster could get outto them. Service representatives explained that more urgentclaims—such as a tree through a homeowner's roof—that were takingpriority. He says most customers accepted the triage approach, asPlymouth Rock took the initiative to contact them “and setexpectations.”