Indiana Insurance Encourages Disaster Preparation

With a potential above-normal hurricane season predicted and a record number of tornadoes across the country this year, Indiana Insurance is urging policyholders in its nine-state Midwest region to take important precautions to prepare for, and recover from, severe weather.

Indiana Insurance offers a free Disaster Planning Guide to consumers at www.indiana-ins.com, under the Insurance Resources tab. The guide helps homeowners develop an action plan for evacuation, details what necessities should go into an emergency kit, and explains the importance of undertaking a household inventory, among other important safety tips.

Being prepared for severe weather also means policyholders’ understanding whether or not they have adequate or enough insurance coverage. A recent survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners found that 28 percent of those questioned were not sure whether they purchased replacement cost or actual cash value coverage. Further, a majority responded that they do not have coverage to protect them from losses that aren’t reimbursable under standard homeowner policies, such as earthquakes, floods, or water and sewer line breaks.

“We feel it’s very important that our policyholders check-in annually with their agents to ensure that they have appropriate coverages,” said Thomas Meka, vice president, Personal Lines Underwriting. “We also want to remind our customers that there are basic actions that they should take to prepare for severe weather events. Our Disaster Planning Guide addresses these precautions specific to disasters such as tornadoes and wildfires.”

Customers who experience severe weather property damage should report a claim as soon as possible by calling Indiana Insurance ANYTIME Claims Service at 800-279-7221.

Commercial customers and Indiana Insurance appointed agencies also have free access to Open for BusinessSM, an online tool developed by the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) that allows businesses to plan for, and recover from natural disasters. According to IBHS, at least one-fourth of all businesses never reopen following a disaster.

“Open for Business is a great resource for small businesses to develop their own business continuity plans,” said Jeffrey Szalacinski, vice president, Field Claims Operations. “This tool guides small businesses throughout the entire process of disaster planning and control, from initially protecting themselves and their assets, to developing a swift recovery plan.”

Commercial Lines policyholders can contact their agent for an access code and then log into the Open for Business program at www.ibhs.org/policyholder/register.asp. Once there, business owners answer questions about human resources, physical resources, and business operations, in order to build individualized property protection and recovery plans.

Property protection plans are matched to the potential catastrophic risks that exist for a particular zip code, including hurricanes, high winds, floods, earthquakes, tornados, and wildfires. Recovery plans are based on each company’s critical business functions and the role that employees, suppliers, and vendors play in daily operations.

The plans also outline how vital records, equipment, vehicles, computers, and voice/data communications can be integrated from a chosen recovery location to help a business stay open following a natural disaster.