Catastrophe & Restoration

From Hugo to Sandy, I've had a front seat to a wide range of catastrophes and it's been an interesting ride.

The Romans built bridges, temples and viaducts that could still be used thousands of years after construction. In America, our interstate highways built less than 60 years ago are falling apart and city buildings are dilapidated, obsolete and ready to be torn down.

The Massachusetts winter of 2015 broke multiple records and caused misery for drivers, homeowners and insurers. What lessons did insurers learn from the snow that never ended?

Three years after Hurricane Sandy swept up the East Coast, homeowners are still working to collect money for the damage they sustained. It has been a long and frustrating fight for many. Media reports highlighted their efforts and some accused insurers and engineers of colluding to under-report the damage.

Superstorm Sandy was the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, spanning 1,100 miles, affecting 24 states from Florida to Maine and as far west as Michigan. From an insurance perspective, less than half of those affected were insured.

Joaquin is forecast to become a major hurricane by Saturday as it churns in the Atlantic, triggering hurricane warnings and watches for the Bahamas.