Insurers use digital to mark National Hurricane Preparedness Week

May 5, 2022 6:39 AM

Damaged homes in floodwater after Hurricane Ida in Pointe-Aux-Chenes, Louisiana, U.S., on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. The electric utility that serves New Orleans has restored power to a small section of the city after Hurricane Ida devastated the region's grid. Photographer: Mark Felix/Bloomberg — Damaged homes in floodwater after Hurricane Ida in Pointe-Aux-Chenes, Louisiana on Sept. 2, 2021.

National Hurricane Preparedness Week is from May 1 to 7 and insurance carriers are working to inform policyholders of various digital tools and resources available to them.

The Atlantic Hurricane season is predicted to be above average this year, according to the tropical weather and climate research team at Colorado State University.

The Insurance Information Institute suggests consumers and businesses review insurance coverage before hurricane season begins in June.

"The U.S. has incurred a significant loss of life and property damage over the past two hurricane seasons and early forecasts indicate 2022 is going to be a very active one," said Sean Kevelighan, CEO of Triple-I, in a statement. "During Hurricane Preparedness Week, everyone who lives in a hurricane-prone community should take a few moments to ensure they have adequate financial protection for their property and possessions while also taking steps to make their home or business more resilient to the impacts of wind and water."

Digital Insurance reached out to several carriers for comment on National Hurricane Preparedness Week. The responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Farmers Insurance is working with AccuWeather and Corelogic to offer customers in several states a free emergency weather alert system, sending text notifications approximately 20 minutes in advance of severe weather, which may include tornadoes, hurricane force winds or sustained winds over 65 mph, and large hail events.

Trevor Chapman, spokesperson for Farmers Insurance says the purpose of the program is to help provide actionable warnings of severe weather in advance to help Farmers customers get themselves and their families to safety, as well as have enough time to take appropriate safety measures to secure personal property.

Farmers’ severe weather alerts powered by AccuWeather and CoreLogic are designed to complement official government warnings for tornadoes, high winds, and hail for better planning and decision-making and greater safety, Chapman says. While other public warning alert systems typically provide notifications for broader regions, the Farmers AccuWeather alerts are designed to provide more precise, address-specific notifications, relaying relevant information on imminent weather threats.

In a survey by Farmers, 60% of households indicated they didn’t have an emergency plan in place for a natural disaster, Chapman says. Farmers created a digital resource to help customers and consumers alike learn more about natural disasters like hurricanes, and what can be done to help keep them and those around them safe.

Steve Hernandez, senior vice president, risk control, at CNA says: Technology and digital resources are keys to connectivity and continuity of communication required for business resiliency and recovery, especially when there is a wide area impact such as with hurricanes. Digital means of communication are critical to CNA for connectivity with clients, to help them with risk management strategies such as emergency planning, incident response and preparation for high-risk exposures and events as part of the hurricane preparedness planning.

CNA provides digital resources to clients in the form of guides, checklists and toolkits to help them navigate the risks and minimize the impact of downtime to their business.

Onsite training is becoming more of a challenge, so the digital format is the most efficient way to get risk management strategies on topics like hurricane preparedness to the client, Hernandez says. CNA takes advantage of digital education risk management strategies through programs like SORCE on Demand and PrepWise+, investing in digital resources in response to policyholders’ requests.

Digital resources also allow for the rapid distribution of educational material, Hernandez says. With forecasting capabilities, getting this information in the hands of clients quickly affords them the time needed for critical preparation.

The Hartford’s Chief Claims Officer Mary Nasenbenny says: “For more than 212 years, we have provided people and businesses with the support and protection they need to pursue their unique ambitions, seize opportunity and prevail through unexpected challenges. Our goal is to build resilience in our communities and empower personal and business success for our customers. We will leverage all our digital capabilities to remind them we’re here to help 24/7 if and when something happens.”

The Hartford plans to mark Hurricane Preparedness Week with an educational campaign. During the awareness week, The Hartford will send proactive, targeted emails to property customers located in areas typically damaged by hurricanes. The email messages will provide tips on how to prepare their homes and commercial property before a storm, as well as steps to take during and after a hurricane hits. The email also will include ways customers can easily start a claim online or by phone.

Additionally, when a hurricane is imminent, The Hartford identifies customers and agents in the storm’s path and uses email and social media posts to share out tips and claim reporting information.