Before a Hurricane To prepare for a hurricane, you should take the following measures: To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan. Know your surroundings. Learn the elevation level of your property and whether the land is flood-prone. This will help you know how your property will be…
Make Sure Your Business Is Prepared to Survive—40 Percent Do Not Reopen after a Catastrophe NEW YORK, August 10, 2015— Every year businesses temporarily shut down—or close forever—because of a disaster such as a flood, fire or hurricane, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). Forty percent of businesses do not reopen after a disaster…
In its ongoing efforts at improving the flood insurance program, on June 15, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) launched a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) call center pilot program to support policyholders with the servicing of their claims. You can reach the NFIP call center at 1-800-621-3362 between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (CDT)…
Researchers trying to figure out what makes some hurricanes strengthen into catastrophic monsters have a new lab that allows them to generate tropical storm conditions with the flip of a switch. The lab is at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. It’s known as the Surge-Structure-Atmosphere Interaction, or SUSTAIN. The…
Deadly automobile accidents are a tragic daily occurrence across the United States. In 2013 (the latest year complete data is available), 32,719 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The good news is that over the past 10 years, there has been an…
Traffic jams, road construction, bad weather, lack of parking, cost of gas, likelihood of an accident, and even the cost of vehicle ownership can all contribute to numerous everyday challenges for drivers. NerdWallet has analyzed driving conditions, time spent driving and insurance costs to rank the worst cities in the United States for drivers on…
As we enter the busy home-buying season, you may be wondering which states have the highest homeowners insurance rates. Many factors impact home insurance premiums including real estate values, building and construction costs, vulnerability to catastrophes, as well as levels of economic growth and urbanization. According to a January 2015 study by the National Association of…
Despite the fact that the Southeast has experienced more billion-dollar disasters in the past 30 years than the rest of the country combined, a number of coastal states took no action to improve their building code systems since 2012, and a few have weaker systems in place, according to the Insurance Institute for Business…
Do you think your auto insurance premiums are hefty? If you live in these 10 states, you might have a point. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has released its 2011/2012 Auto Insurance Database Report, including calculations for average annual auto insurance premiums for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The NAIC…
State regulators say home and auto insurance rates in Florida should dip 1.5% in July, according to a report by MyFoxOrlando.com. Florida residents who pay a private insurance company for coverage on a car, motorcycle, boat or house will see savings of $15 per $1,000 of premium. Thomas Cotton, owner of Hugh Cotton Insurance in…