Whether it’s a flash flood, wildfire, hurricane or tornado, catastrophic (CAT) events can strike without warning, affecting those in their path at any time and in any part of the country. In these events, making sure the insureds are prepared for the event and can resume their daily life post-CAT requires a team effort that involves the insurer, restoration professionals and the insureds themselves.
“For everyone involved, preparation for a CAT event is an ongoing process,” says Tim Singnysane, director of operations at 1-800 WATER DAMAGE. “The to-do list is endless, and completing it doesn’t happen overnight.”
Document Your Valuables
As a first step, all insureds should identify and document valuable items (often by taking a video of the entire house), fully understand their insurance policy, and ensure adequate coverage, as some items require a separate rider on the policy. “In addition to being underinsured, many homeowners don’t have additional living expense coverage, so if a CAT event hits, they must pay out of pocket for temporary accommodations,” says Kevin Krull, owner of 1-800 WATER DAMAGE of Washtenaw County & Taylor, MI.
Outside of this, insureds should have their insurance carrier information, policy number and agent information on hand. Printing out and laminating this information is handy, in case it can’t be accessed digitally. A go-bag should have extra water, prescriptions and family medical records, as well as pet food, if applicable. Krull also says that patience is key, as with a CAT event, many people are affected, insurers are overwhelmed and restoration professionals often must travel from out of town to support local teams.
For insurers, they should definitely brace for a flood of claims, and often, that means ensuring people, processes and technology are in place to handle them. It goes without saying that communication is critical: If a CAT event is imminent, insurers should keep in close contact with their insureds to inform them about potential impacts and claim filing procedures.
How Professionals Avoid “Hiccups”
And if you’re one of those restoration professionals responding to a CAT event? Krull says ongoing preparation entails ensuring truck-mounted systems are running well, negative air and filtration machines are ready to go, dehumidifier pumps are clean, and fan GFCIs and generators are working properly. It can also mean securing housing in advance for anyone deployed to the event site, as they might be there for a period of time.
“When you’ve told a client that you’ll be there to restore their home, they have to be able to count on you to actually do what you promised,” Krull continues. “There’s little room for hiccups.”
In addition, it’s helpful to have established relationships with roofing companies, industrial hygienists, debris haulers and other vendors in the area that will help with the labor. “There’s always something new to learn about CAT event preparation. I’ve been doing this for 30-plus years and I’m still learning,” says Singnysane. “But knowing a trusted, experienced team with a strong network of connections will be on the job takes some of the worry off everyone’s shoulders.”
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