As Hurricane Laura continues strengthening into potential Category 4 storm, the NHC warns of an "unsurvivable storm surge," for parts of the Louisiana and Eastern Texas coast. 

Forecasters predict surges several feet high could reach nearly to Interstate 10 in Louisiana, endangering cities like Lake Charles, and others some 35 miles inland. Only a few hours remain to protect life and property.

• Texas residence seeking to evacuate should consider DriveTexas.org.
• Louisiana, residence should consider 511la.org

Remember El Nino and La Nina? Bet you can’t remember which one may be a precursor for bad weather along the Eastern Atlantic and Gulf Coast. Keep reading I will explain the differences based on the expert’s analysis. But back to the forecast, the experts at Colorado State University just published their early prediction and let’s just say it’s concerning.  While just a prediction based in large part on what is now or will be happening in the atmosphere, it none the less should be given serious consideration and serve as a wake-up call to property owners living in those areas.

I usually don’t talk about Hurricane season or disaster planning this early in the year. But yesterday, a daily weather blog by professional meteorologist Mr. Rocco Calaci who we have great respect for mentioned the following:

“Switching gears…yesterday by former NOAA meteorologist Mr. David Dilley gave a webinar on the upcoming 2018 hurricane season.  Though he provided substantial supporting evidence of his projections, the numbers he stated for this year’s hurricane forecast were sobering.....

This is the time of year that we all start casting an eye on the tropics as the hurricane season ramps up and the chances of severe storms increases. Tampa Bay is particularly vulnerable to severe damage because it has been such a long time since we experienced a severe hurricane. Out of code buildings will be devastated in such a storm. A recent report in the Washington Post titled Tampa Bay’s Coming Storm outlines in detail the carnage that could occur in Tampa Bay from a direct hit. And a recent report in the Tampa Bay Business Journal reinforces the ticking time bomb indicating 460,000 properties are at risk from storm surge. Unfortunately, it’s too late to take action after the storm and we’ve all seen the insurance claim mess that has occurred in other areas hit by severe storms.

“Recovery from a hurricane is a difficult, long term process,” says Craig Fugate, former FEMA National Emergency Management Director. Listening to all the pundits talk and write about  2017 hurricane disaster planning, I was reminded about the former big Wall Street brokerage firm, E. F. Hutton and their tag line that ran with commercials some years ago. It went like this, “When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen.”

There were a number of articles over the course of the last few weeks that focused my attention back to the water peril.  Spring storms in the middle section of the country with the severe floods that always seem to follow; global warming issues being reported almost daily with the threat of rising sea levels; and then this recent article, Flood recovery meeting set in White Sulphur Springs  from The Herald-Dispatch in West Virginia, that announced meetings with various officials to try and provide updates to the folks in southern West Virginia who were affected by last year’s floods in the mountain state. 

Last week I got a call from a writer based in Florida who is doing an article for the AARP Magazine (American Association of Retired People). The reporter was doing research to coordinate information that may be useful to folks whom may have the unfortunate experience of suffering through a catastrophic event that many of us in the insurance claims business have dealt with for our entire professional careers. The article, I am told, will be focused on how to prepare for and survive a natural disaster and other catastrophic events for this unique population of folks who are 55 years young and older.

If not here, then where? Not to be an alarmist but I assume most folks who pay attention to the weather folks as well as the local and national news likely would not have missed the most recent update from NOAA on their forecast for the balance of this year’s hurricane season. Yes, the tropical storms count just went up, as it seems a number of factors that are monitored and used to help weather experts calculate risk exposure from tropical storms are causing concerns in that the balance of this season will be more active in terms of tropical storms as well as the potential for one or more major hurricanes. All this begs the question: Will landfall occur causing damages not seen in Florida since 2005?

Some of our most savvy clients understand just how important it is to have an experienced Public Adjuster on their team even before a property loss occurs.  Some of our clients have been extremely fortunate to never have sustained a property loss but have nonetheless educated themselves to prepare or have heard the horror stories of others who have endured the insurance claim process. At Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters, we’ve created a program just for this purpose called: Disaster First Recovery Services