Unlike the 2016 wildfire, Fort McMurray residents and business owners only needed to evacuate for one week before returning to their properties after the recent flood. Assessing the damages and working through the necessary mitigation and dry-out, the insurance services industry is doing their part.
CRU GROUP started Saturday evening in assisting carriers and their clients with the challenges resulting from a catastrophe that had similar effects four years ago this week. “We deployed Residential, Commercial and Auto Adjusters, and are quickly reporting and quantifying the extent of damages. Everyone we’ve sent participated in the 2016 wildfire response giving us a comfort level in logistics and understanding the people of Ft. Mac” states Kyle Winston, President of CRU GROUP.
CRU GROUP’s Field Response Director, Jonathan Rice, reported, “Some areas had pretty high-water levels marking lines on auto windows and leaving debris deposits at a five-foot mark on some commercial structures. The residents affected are well into ripping out their basement furnishings and finishes, and the appliances, HVC and water heaters are piling up on the curbs. Contractors are moving very quickly to minimize mold and neighbours are again helping neighbours.”
Not surprisingly, the adjusting processes are quite different than in past years. Kyle Winston further states, “Our clients have all transitioned to different levels of needs. We’re doing Business Interruption, Evacuation ALE, Flood, SBU and Seepage Coverage, along with detailed Task Services of simply being the carriers ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground. Utilizing our new apps and splitting key components in the claims cycle has been easier than expected since we adopted these options to comply with the COVID-19 field factors. Every catastrophe has slightly different factors and adapting to them is our key to client satisfaction.”
Mr. Winston adds, “Our CAT Response team, headed by EVP, Skip McHardy, Director, Melissa Trca, and Jonathan Rice, have all worked together for more than eight years and always got the job done regardless of all the crazy challenges they faced. Our CAT team assisted with 27 Canadian catastrophes this past decade, five of them having tens of thousands of claims, and, no two have been alike with every client wanting the adjusting to be done a little differently. We’ve also answered the call and expanded our services with Maltman International, specialty adjusting like trucking and crop insurance, and new desk programs that have helped insurance companies stay current and quickly complete a backlog of claims. First and foremost, however, we continue to be ready for the big ones – floods, wildfire, earthquakes and severe hail. We don’t see support for those events going away anytime soon.”