Boston-based CDS Business Mapping said it has added a new storm surge report to its RiskMeter Online real-time, natural hazard risk report service.
Currently, this report is available in 11 states, with more to be added in the next couple of weeks.
The RiskMeter Online's Storm Surge report, based upon the Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) storm surge model, lets users know if a property falls within an area likely to flood from a hurricane of a specific strength, as well as the maximum storm surge height for each category of storm.
The company said this report also improves on flaws with existing storm surge models by providing insurers with an easy-to-use tool with more information.
Although flood maps approximate storm surge levels, CDS said RiskMeter's storm surge reports are more detailed and provide users with a more realistic assessment of coastal flooding.
Storm surge has become a topic of legal controversy since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when insurers rejected homeowner storm surge damage as barred by policy flood exclusion language. However, a federal court ruled in Mississippi that insurers must pay any portion of damage to a storm surge-impacted home that involves wind damage.
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