Cat Operations Director, Skip McHardy announced today that Catastrophe Response Unit, a division of the CRU GROUP has now completed their 72-hour assessment of the damages related to Hurricane Dorian in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and are completing assessments for Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. Mr. McHardy explained that CRU had taken a risk when early resources into Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but recognized the potential water damage from both SBU and overland flooding that could occur. “Despite a surprising low reported claim count, we knew it would just take time before people would reach out to their insurance company and we wanted to be ready. The folks in the Maritimes seem to do everything they can on their own first, and then decide if they need assistance from their insurance carrier.”
Explains Skip, “From past CAT work in the Cape Breton area, we remember that we were particularly impressed with the people of that region. They are some of the nicest and most self-reliant people we have ever serviced. Every neighbor was helping each other and the community approach to stripping basements reminded us of the army of volunteers we saw in the 2013 Calgary flood. Our first reports Sunday morning confirmed our thoughts, as our field teams noted everyone starting the labor-intensive cleaning of yards, cutting up downed trees and tacking on tarps, without realizing that there were contractors the carriers could dispatch for help.”
McHardy adds that the CRU GROUP’s Catastrophe Response division is also backing some client insurers with Contents Specialist adjusters. “There are some pockets in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick that did incur water damages and the process of working with contractors and insureds to determine what gets tossed, what gets cleaned, and where does personal property get stored is an area that can easily get out of hand. With both the power outage ALE claims and the water damaged basements, we’re focusing on supporting our clients in these areas also. “It’s going to be interesting to see the impact and effect of the new Overland Flooding endorsements being offered. With the help of our NFIP flood experts, we’re well positioned to offer top water loss adjusting expertise.”
Says Kyle Winston, CEO and President CEO Group, “Canada and the US were both lucky this time, to dodge the full devastating impact of this horrifying hurricane. I am proud of our team and the passion and energy they showed on both sides of the border. Next time we may not be so lucky…but whatever Mother Nature throws at us, CRU will be ready to help their insurers and all of their clients at a time of need”.