AGENDA
Session 1
Introduction
10:00-10:05 am
The Catastrophic Events: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria
Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast on August 25, 2017 as a Category 4 storm. It was the first major hurricane of that strength to hit the United States in years. While Harvey brought strong winds along the coastal area of Texas, its 4-days of rain, bringing over 40 inches of rain water to the region was the primary cause of the devastation. Peak accumulations of water, which ultimately exceeded 51 inches made Hurricane Harvey the wettest hurricane on record in the contiguous US. Harvey’s damaging path affected more than just the region. In addition to property damage, Harvey disrupted a number of business – both in Southeast Texas and throughout the United States.
Just a few days later, on September 10, 2017, Hurricane Irma hit Florida. Recognized as the most intense hurricane to strike the United States since 2005, Irma caused widespread damage to Caribbean islands and Florida. Irma’s strong winds brought storm surge flooding and wind damage to properties. Many areas in Florida lost power, affecting businesses and causing other complications in the recovery efforts.
And shortly thereafter, on September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico directly. Wind gusts up to 109 mph and heavy rainfall caused extensive property damage. There was storm surge and other flooding as well. The hurricane completely destroyed the island’s power grid, leaving the entire island without power for weeks. The island’s infrastructure and roads were made impassible, significantly hampering relief and recovery efforts.
This event offers a unique opportunity for claims managers, adjusters, consultants, experts, and attorneys to meet and discuss how the industry is responding to the claims and issues raised by an area-wide and far-reaching catastrophic event as well as lessons learned and preparations for the future.
Session 1A
10:05-10:50 am
Biography of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria
The discussion will focus on how Harvey, Irma, and Maria started in the Gulf and the forces that turned them into hurricanes. The discussion will also provide specifics concerning landfall times, wind speeds, and rainfall. Finally, Dr. Branscome will discuss whether these intense hurricanes can provide any insight into whether storms of this magnitude, including the slow-moving forces and heavy rainfall, can be effectively forecasted.
Session 1B
10:50-11:15 am
Damage from Harvey, Irma, and Maria and lessons learned from prior CAT Hurricanes about losses and claims
What sort of property damage, business interruption losses, deaths, and injuries did coastal cities experience from Tropical Storm Alison and Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, and Ike? What did engineers take away from those storms in preparing property for damage from future storms such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Did the preparations suffice and work to limit damage?
Session 1C
11:15 am-12:00 pm
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria Damage Assessment in a Populous Area
We will review the types of damage associated with Hurricane Harvey in the Southeast Texas region, Hurricane Irma in the Florida region, and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Because Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, its dense population in conjunction with the large number of rivers and bayous made Houston particularly vulnerable to flooding. Pockets of Houston and surrounding areas became literal islands for days. Similarly, the Southeast Texas region is known for its chemical and petrochemical manufacturing. Plants experienced flooding and other damage as a result of the loss of power and inability of workers to reach the property. The geography of Florida – as a peninsula – also affected the accessibility of the state, as well as evacuation routes. And Puerto Rico’s ongoing damage after the storm passed was exacerbated by infrastructure issues.
12:00-12:45 pm
Lunch (provided)
Session 2
Introduction
12:45-12:55 pm
The Response - Dusting Off the CAT Adjusting Playbook: How the Insurance Claims Industry is Addressing Hurricane Harvey and Learning Lessons for the Next Great Storm?
Many leaders in the claims industry have never experienced the level of frenzy that we’re seeing in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. How is the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma similar to that of prior storms such as Katrina, Wilma, Ike, and Sandy? What old strategies are being pulled from the CAT shelf and what new technologies are being utilized to improve results?
Session 2A
12:55-1:40 pm
The Immediate Macro-Response: Assessing Exposure, Building a Team, Preparing the Strategy
In the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, insurers must strive to get a firm handle on their exposure. The technology available today allows for a much more accurate and efficient assessment than in any prior catastrophes. How are insurers maximizing their modern toolkit to achieve the best results?
CATs of the magnitude of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have generated a massive claim volume. For insurers with extensive exposure, implementing emergency policies and procedures (and having those elements in place before the storm) will be the difference between success and failure. This session will discuss how the insurers have mobilized their existing in-house teams, including a discussion of how they are absorbing the new claims and staying on top of the pre-Harvey and pre-Irma claim volume.
Session 2B
Introduction
1:40-2:00 pm
Attacking the Problems in the Field: Issues the Internal and External Claims Teams Will Face
In executing a Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma CAT strategy, the in-house claims/legal team and the external consultants are facing certain key issues, challenges and obstacles. Our team of experts will roundtable these subjects to illuminate best practices and state of the art industry standards for tackling them in achieving optimal results.
2:00-2:10 pm
Issue #1: Building the Team
Internally, insurers need to identify the right strategy and the right personnel to deal with the macro issues, and to handle the flood of individual claims. When do you need outside consultants, and how do you determine who to retain?
2:10-2:30 pm
Issue #2: Technology
How can the adjustment team use technology to improve efficiency, individual results and overall performance? Are drones playing a role? What advantages and disadvantages do they bring? What information sources and data do we have available today? How will that impact and improve outcomes? What traditional adjustment methods remain critical, notwithstanding new technology?
2:30-3:00 pm
Issue #3: Property Damage Investigation and Recovery
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria delivered wide-ranging types and degrees of property damage across a broad geographic area. How will the adjustment teams document the scope of work required to address such damage? What issues and disputes are likely to arise with insureds with respect to coverage and measurement?
3:00-3:15 pm
Break
3:15-3:45 pm
Issue #4: Time Element Challenges
Business Interruption and Extra Expense; Civil Authority; Ingress/Egress; Contingent Business Interruption – all Time Element coverages are implicated over a widespread damage area, and extending worldwide. How are the experts investigating and resolving these complex claims? What kinds of issues have you seen so far and what might be expected?
3:45-4:15 pm
Issue #5: Dealing With Coverage Issues and Litigation
Company policies are in play, as are broker manuscript policies. Can a single insurer maintain consistency across claims? Can the industry maintain consistency? What impact will claim decisions and actions have on litigation?
4:15-4:30 pm
Final Audience Questions and Panel Comments
4:30-6:00 pm
Happy Hour and Appetizers
Speaker:
Thomas Cook, Zelle LLP
Speaker:
Lee Branscome, Climatological Consulting Corporation
Speaker:
Bruce Arita, Thornton Tomasetti
Speakers:
Lee Branscome, Climatological Consulting Corporation
Bruce Arita, Thornton Tomasetti
Jon Held, J.S. Held L.L.C.
Matt Gonzalez, Zelle LLP
Shannon O'Malley, Zelle LLP
Speaker:
Dan Millea, Zelle LLP
Speakers:
Dan Millea, Zelle LLP
Paul Aviles, Allied World Assurance Company
Marc Giovannetti, Liberty International Underwriters
Speakers:
Anaysa Gallardo Stutzman, Zelle LLP
Jon Held, J.S. Held LLC
Session Moderator:
Anthony Scariano, VeriClaim
Industry Experts:
John Cace, Matson Driscoll & Damico
Jon Held, J.S. Held L.L.C.
Bruce Arita, Thornton Tomasetti
Brian Boardingham, XL-Catlin
Thomas Cook, Zelle LLP
CAT-Law 2017 Conference:
Hurricanes
How are insurers reacting and responding to the unprecedented hurricanes of 2017? The CAT-Law Conference will offer a unique opportunity for claims managers, adjusters, consultants, experts, and attorneys to meet and discuss how the industry is responding to claims and issues raised by Harvey and other catastrophic hurricanes, as well as lessons learned from prior CATs and potential preparations for the future.
Continuing Education Credit: This course has been approved for five hours of continuing education credit for insurance professionals licensed in Florida and Texas.
Conference registration is full. Please contact Dan Gruber at dgruber@zelle.com to be placed a waiting list to be notified of any openings.