ST. LOUIS--With 120-mile-per-hour winds and devastating force, Hurricane Charley ripped into the Alligator Mobile Home Park in Punta Gorda, Florida earlier in the month. If the destruction wasn't enough, just two weeks later Hurricane Frances hit Florida 's East coast with 100 mile-per-hour winds. RVs were overturned, belongings strewn for hundreds of yards, and in its wake, hundreds of RVers were left homeless and stranded, their lives threatened to come to a screeching halt.
In response, GMAC Insurance dispatched its Mobile Storm Unit, a crack force of claims adjusters with specialized RV and storm experience, and a cadre of repair trucks armed with everything necessary to make on-the-spot
decisions or repairs to get people's lives moving again. In addition, prior to each storm, GMAC Insurance initiated proactive outbound calls to customers in anticipated disaster areas advising them of precautions they should take now, letting them know that help is on the way, and providing important claims reporting information.
"We were ready when Hurricane Charley reared its head and we're ready now to deal with the aftermath of Frances," said John Urankar, Chief Claims and Policy Services Officer at GMAC Insurance. "Our teams were assembled and ready to go within 24 hours of each storm. Within hours of each storm's passing, we were on the scene writing checks, repairing windshields and lifting overturned vehicles. Whatever we could to help our customers get up and go."
When Mobile Storm Units arrived at the scene earlier this month in response to Hurricane Charley and then in response to Hurricane Frances just weeks later, they performed "insurance" triage, assembling a customized game
plan for each location. Within hours, the team was conducting initial safety checks and consultations with all policy holders. The mobile repair unit was dispatched to quickly repair lesser damage, such as windshields, windows, doors and roofs. For more serious damage, adjusters made all arrangements for the rig to be sent to the central Direct Repair Facility. In many instances, advanced payments and temporary field checks for food and other essentials were made on the spot.
According to Urankar, this was just the beginning to GMAC Insurance's personalized attention. "Our adjusters helped folks move tree limbs, gather belongings and make hotel reservations. When you've had a loss, the last thing you need is to jump through hoops to get help."
