As Hurricane Irene approaches our area, we wanted to make sure you and your customers were aware of the steps you can take to stay safe and our claim response plans as the storm approaches.
Staying safe in a hurricane or windstorm »
Understanding wind damage »
Safety for individuals
Create a disaster plan. Plan an evacuation route in advance and determine where you would go if you were told to evacuate.
In addition, you and your business insurance customers should consider taking the following precautions to help protect people and property and guard against disruption of operations:
Review your business continuity plan and communicate emergency evacuation and business interruption instructions to employees. If you don’t have a written plan, now is the time to create one. Each business should have an emergency plan including a detailed procedure for evacuation, a checklist for shutting down processes and protecting buildings, contents, equipment, and yard storage. Procedures should include salvage instructions to follow post-event.
Travelers Claim Response
Travelers’ National Catastrophe Center is monitoring this event closely, and we have already begun staging response resources near the hurricane’s estimated path.
With five call centers prepared to take loss notices 24-7, a fleet of five Mobile Claim Offices prepared to deploy anywhere on the East Coast within hours, a 300-person dedicated CAT team, and a national workforce strategy that enables us to draw on the resources of our 13,000-person claim organization, you can rest assured we will have the right resources in the right place to help you and your customers recover from the storm.
Claim Reporting
Please encourage your customers to report claims directly to Travelers as soon as possible after the storm. The sooner we learn about losses, the sooner we can help.
Personal Insurance: 1.800.CLAIM33 (1.800.252.4633)
As a reminder, Travelers suspends agency binding authority when a Tropical Storm or a Hurricane event is expected to impact a geographic area. Moratoriums are currently in effect for some business units for potentially affected states. For a current list of counties with suspended binding authority, please log into Agent HQ (www.travelersagents.com) or contact your underwriter.
Staying safe in a hurricane or windstorm »
Understanding wind damage »
Safety for individuals
Create a disaster plan. Plan an evacuation route in advance and determine where you would go if you were told to evacuate.
- Prepare a survival kit. Stock up on drinking water, non-perishable goods, a first-aid kit and medicine for everyone including your pet. Include extra clothing, blankets, batteries, flashlights and a portable radio.
- Conduct a home hazard hunt and make your home as safe as possible. Secure all outdoor objects such as garbage cans and lawn furniture. Close storm shutters and board up all windows.
- Review how to shut off utilities in an emergency with all family members.
- Locate important papers and documents and have them ready to take with you should you need to evacuate. Protect documents in plastic storage bags if you're remaining in your home.
- Make sure you have insurance policies with claim contact information, an inventory of your home’s contents and cash.
- Ask an out-of-state friend to be your family contact. After a disaster, it's often easier to call long-distance than to make a local call.
- Finally, leave promptly when ordered to evacuate. Leaving too late or not leaving at all only endangers yourself and others.
In addition, you and your business insurance customers should consider taking the following precautions to help protect people and property and guard against disruption of operations:
Review your business continuity plan and communicate emergency evacuation and business interruption instructions to employees. If you don’t have a written plan, now is the time to create one. Each business should have an emergency plan including a detailed procedure for evacuation, a checklist for shutting down processes and protecting buildings, contents, equipment, and yard storage. Procedures should include salvage instructions to follow post-event.
- Back up critical data and computer records off-site so that operations can continue after a disaster. Consider keeping a backup generator and plenty of batteries on hand so your business can continue to operate after a power loss.
- As a hurricane approaches, quick actions should to be taken to install temporary protection features including:
- Shutter or board up windows to protect them from flying debris
- Clean out floor drains and catch basins to ensure maximum drainage
- Anchor structures, trailers and yard storage so they are more likely to stay put in high winds
- Fill emergency generator and fire pump fuel tanks
- Shut down production processes safely
- Shut off all flammable and combustible liquid and gas lines at their source
- Shut off electrical power at the main building disconnect before the hurricane strikes
- Once the storm has subsided and it is safe to return, a salvage team should be assembled and repair work prioritized, assuring proper supplies are available and safety procedures followed.
Travelers Claim Response
Travelers’ National Catastrophe Center is monitoring this event closely, and we have already begun staging response resources near the hurricane’s estimated path.
With five call centers prepared to take loss notices 24-7, a fleet of five Mobile Claim Offices prepared to deploy anywhere on the East Coast within hours, a 300-person dedicated CAT team, and a national workforce strategy that enables us to draw on the resources of our 13,000-person claim organization, you can rest assured we will have the right resources in the right place to help you and your customers recover from the storm.
Claim Reporting
Please encourage your customers to report claims directly to Travelers as soon as possible after the storm. The sooner we learn about losses, the sooner we can help.
Personal Insurance: 1.800.CLAIM33 (1.800.252.4633)
- Business Insurance:1.800.238.6225
- Online: https://secure.travelers.com/claim/Claim-Reporting.aspx
(This is a consumer reporting site which is also available to agents to report claims on their customers’ behalf. Customers will receive a confirmation email and can expect to hear from their assigned Claim Professional shortly thereafter).
As a reminder, Travelers suspends agency binding authority when a Tropical Storm or a Hurricane event is expected to impact a geographic area. Moratoriums are currently in effect for some business units for potentially affected states. For a current list of counties with suspended binding authority, please log into Agent HQ (www.travelersagents.com) or contact your underwriter.
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