As Hurricane Irene gathers speed and power in the Atlantic, likely to barrel down on the East Coast, the urgency of spreading the word on what to do before, during and after a disaster is top of mind.
The earthquake, that just two days ago rocked much of the same area now preparing for Irene, had many consumers, reporters and others asking questions about disaster preparedness and insurance. What should people do in the event of an earthquake? Images of people in Washington, D.C., failing to follow the most basic safety earthquake recommendations were all over the news, showing just how unprepared many people in the United States are to deal with natural disasters.
Natural disasters can be particularly scary and damaging in areas where they are not common. Trusted Choice® offers many disaster-specific readiness and recovery tips for consumers. To access them, click on the corresponding headlines listed here:
Randy Lanoix, president of the Lanoix Insurance Agency in southern Louisiana, says, “Most people just don’t think about disasters until they are faced with one.”
Lanoix and his team represent many of the businesses and families impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and four other storms that hit the gulf region in 2004. He says, “With the threat of hurricanes in south Louisiana, we try to talk to our customers about the importance of preparing before the storm.”
Most people in the United States are not fully prepared for the possibility of a natural disaster, according to a national survey commissioned last year by Trusted Choice® and the Big “I.” The survey found that only 35% of respondents have discussed their complete disaster preparedness plan with an insurance agent.
“Even when they talk to their insurance agent, most people don’t discuss disaster planning unless we bring it up to them,” Lanoix says.
Agents in other disaster-prone regions also emphasize the need for disaster preparedness to their clients and have their own systems in place for their business and employees.
The Bramlett Agency in Ardmore, Okla., an area prone to tornados and ice storms, hires a firm called Agility Recovery Systems for their agency and on behalf of their clients.
“[Agility] comes with power, connectivity to the Internet, automation and [building] space, and they represent that they will have their clients up and operational within 48 hours of a disaster,” says Bobby Bramlett, the agency’s president and CEO.
Independent agent Derek Ross, vice president of the C.M. Meiers Co. in Woodland Hills, Calif., has personally gone out of his way to take courses and earn Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) certifications. Ross encourages his colleagues to follow suit.
“A message that I would want to get across to other brokers and agents is that it’s important for them to take the time to get educated so they can pass that information onto their clients,” Ross says.
Emergency and disaster preparedness programs are typically operated by local fire and police departments.
Ross, who works in an area of Southern California that has experienced multiple wildfires and earthquakes in recent years, says, “Most of these programs are free and the information that you learn may even save someone’s life.”
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Margarita Tapia (margarita.tapia@iiaba.net) is Big “I” director of public affairs.