Windstorm and Hurricane Insurance

Windstorm

Zurich is here to help you protect your employees and your business from the damaging effects of windstorms, weather and natural disasters. Our goal is for our customers to be the most prepared and the first ones back in business after an event.

Discover actionable tips from our experienced risk engineering team to help you:

Update your emergency action plan before an event
Safeguard your employees during an event
Mitigate damage and property loss after an event

Featured Articles

world map — Article
Guide to hurricane emergency action plans

If you have property in a region prone to tropical storms, you should always have an up-to-date hurricane or typhoon emergency action plan... **read more**

flood mitigation graphic — Video
Managing water hazards

Whether it’s a region of the country that is prone to flooding or a golf course that makes risk-taking unavoidable, natural hazards are a... **read more**

will your roof survive hailstorm — Infographic
Will your roof survive the next hailstorm?

Understand the composition of hail-resistant roofs in the event that repair or replacement is needed. **read more**

Katrina 10 white paper — White paper
Beyond Katrina: Lessons in creating resilient communities

Explore the lessons learned from Katrina and how the recovery in New Orleans inspired the creation of new methods of building resilience.... **read more**

Katrina 10 infographic — Infographic
A resilient community builds it forward

Flooding affects more people globally than any other natural hazard. Find out what characteristics comprise a resilient community – one that... **read more**

Before an event

Update your emergency action plan

When high winds or hurricanes are on the horizon, an up-to-date hurricane emergency action plan can be your best defense for safeguarding your employees and protecting your business. Your plan should be a living document, which you review and revise each year before hurricane season begins and after any major storm.

Zurich’s experienced risk engineering team recommends that the plan covers specific actions to take:

Before hurricane season begins
48 hours before hurricane landfall
36 hours before hurricane landfall
During a hurricane
After a hurricane

An effective hurricane emergency action plan should also be:

Quick: Fitting into a reasonable timeframe starting 48 hours before hurricane landfall
Simple: Featuring checklists to guide actions and provide reminders
Practiced: Fully tested to verify time, staff and resource needs

Start with the “easy” actions

A hurricane watch is issued 48 hours before a hurricane is expected to affect your location. That’s the time to implement the “easy” actions identified by Zurich’s risk engineers.

Check building roofs, and repair coverings and flashing as needed
Remove loose equipment and debris from roofs
Fill fuel tanks serving emergency generators and other vital services
Verify dewatering pumps are in service and working
Verify outside drains and catch basins are clean
Remove debris from outdoor areas
Remove loose, outdoor, inactive equipment
Back up computer data
For healthcare, verify that 96 hours of supplies are on hand
For manufacturing, ship out as much stock as possible. Verify remaining stock is skidded at least 4 inches above the floor
For new construction projects, remove loose equipment and temporarily brace new construction
Add specific actions to this list, based on the unique needs of your business

Time for the “tough” actions

Between the time a hurricane watch is issued (48 hours before landfall) and a hurricane warning is issued (36 hours before landfall), use available time and resources to tackle the “tough” actions recommended by Zurich’s risk engineers. Leave plenty of time to evacuate personnel who will not be remaining on site.

Tough actions may include:

Protecting or relocating vital business records.
Removing all loose outdoor storage or equipment.
Anchoring portable buildings or trailers to the ground.
Securing outdoor storage or equipment that cannot be moved.
Starting the installation of manual protection systems, such as shutters, plywood covers and flood gates.
Raising critical equipment off floors.
Moving critical equipment from below grade areas.
Covering critical stock and equipment with waterproof tarpaulins.
Initiating an orderly shutdown of production equipment and systems that rely upon normal power.
Turning off fuel gas services.
Turning off non-essential electrical systems.
Verifying all fire protection systems are in service.
Completing any actions that have been specified for your business.

During an event

Focus on worker safety during the event

Your first concern during a severe storm is personnel safety. Depending upon your type of business, you may decide to keep some employees on site during a storm. Hotels, hospitals and other types of facilities may also have others besides employees on site.

If you decide to allow employees to volunteer to remain onsite as an Emergency Response Team (ERT):

Verify that local authorities will allow your ERT to remain on site, and follow all mandatory evacuation orders.
Determine whether the location, design and building construction make it a safe place for the ERT members to be during the storm.
Make sure ERT members are trained in all aspects of the emergency action plan.
Include ERT representatives with decision-making authority and knowledge of facility operations. Also add security personal to the ERT, as required.
Prepare an ERT supply kit with items necessary during and immediately after the storm; Two-way radios, Portable AM/FM radios, Flashlights, lanterns and plenty of batteries, Rubber boots and gloves, Blankets or sleeping bags,First-aid kit, Spare clothing, Enough shelf-stable food and water to last at least 72 hours
Anticipate loss of electrical power and municipal water for several days after the storm.
Conduct drills to test all aspects of the action plan on at least an annual basis. Ensure the plan reflects current conditions at the location. Request feedback from ERT members to assess the effectiveness of the plan and identify areas for improvement.
Develop storm-tracking procedures and ensure the ERT is capable of monitoring conditions using various media and equipment (e.g., radio, TV, Internet and mobile phone).
If the facility is in an area exposed to flooding or storm surge, develop specific response procedures as part of the emergency action plan to manage water exposures.
During the height of the storm, make sure the ERT personnel remain in a location that has been secured from wind and flood.

After an event

Mitigate damage and property loss after the event

Once the storm is over, you begin the task of getting your business running again as quickly as possible. At this point your primary focus should still be on personnel safety. Secondly, you should be doing everything possible to mitigate further damage or property losses. Here are the key steps you should consider taking after a major windstorm:

Start with safety. Check with local authorities to find out if the area around your building and the building itself are safe to enter.
Conduct a hazard assessment.
Report fire protection system outages to Zurich. Access the Zurich New Impairment Notification website to report the outage.
Perform emergency repairs, such as boarding up broken windows and openings, placing tarps where needed to prevent water damage and restoring water service.
Separate damaged contents from non-damaged.
Prioritize key resources and equipment to save.
If the loss site must be altered to minimize further damage, take detailed photographs to document the damage.
Report your claim as soon as possible.
Contact restoration contractors identified in your pre-season planning.

July 5, 2016 | Article

Tips for property protection during cleanup and recovery operations

Help avoid additional property exposures while getting back in business.

June 20, 2016 | Article

Guide to flood emergency response plans

While floods are a leading cause of property loss, there are actions a business owner can take to mitigate and even help prevent damage and costly business interruption.

June 1, 2016 | Video

Managing water hazards

Whether it’s a region of the country that is prone to flooding or a golf course that makes risk-taking unavoidable, natural hazards are a fact of life. In both scenarios, smart design and preparation can help create resilience that has a multiplier effect on positive outcomes.

October 27, 2015 | Blog

Training for the future

Zurich and the St. Bernard Project team up to offer a disaster recovery and resiliency training program for individuals, businesses and officials.

August 28, 2015 | Blog

How Hurricane Katrina prompted a new era of disaster risk management

Hurricane Katrina was not only the costliest disaster in U.S. history; it was also a wake-up call for the disaster risk community that disasters have no borders. They can happen in developing countries like Bangladesh or Malawi, as well as in developed countries like Germany and the U.S.

August 26, 2015 | Blog

Katrina: 4 lessons learned after the storm

When it comes to major events, like Katrina, one of the first things our customers are concerned about in the aftermath is getting their claims handled as quickly and efficiently as possible. A good relationship between the customer and the insurer helps make this a successful experience.

August 4, 2015 | Article

Guide to hurricane emergency action plans

If you have property in a region prone to tropical storms, you should always have an up-to-date hurricane or typhoon emergency action plan in place.

August 3, 2015 | White paper

Beyond Katrina: Lessons in creating resilient communities

Explore the lessons learned from Katrina and how the recovery in New Orleans inspired the creation of new methods of building resilience. Read Zurich’s white paper – produced in conjunction with the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

August 2, 2015 | Article

Tips for worker safety during cleanup and recovery operations

Assuring the safety and security of workers in the aftermath of any disaster requires planning and consideration of several issues.

August 1, 2015 | Video

History of resilience: New Orleans bounces back

Watch this video on risk told through the lens of golf. Mike Foley, Zurich North America CEO explains how being prepared helps communities around the globe bounce back from severe weather. You'll also learn how Zurich's risk engineers advise businesses to take specific actions before, during and after a storm.

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