The “City That Never Sleeps” experienced one of the worst weather nightmares in October of 2012. More than 10 years after Hurricane Sandy made landfall, New York City and surrounding communities continue to deal with the carnage left behind by one of the worst floods ever experienced by residents of the Big Apple.
Because water surrounds the entire city, New York City is especially vulnerable to the storm surge that typically develops as the result of a strong tropical storm. Hurricane Sandy sent a storm surge as high as 32 feet into New York Harbor. The superstorm hit the city at the worst possible time during a full moon and a much higher tide than normal.
Lower Manhattan and Staten Island absorbed the worst of the storm surge, as more than 40 people lost their lives due to the incredible flash flooding. For oceanfront communities such as Canarsie and Rockaway, cars floated down streets and the storm surge sent water up to the second floor of many homes. More than 100 homes burned to the ground and the public transportation system in New York City still operated while work crews repaired storm damage.
While the New York City area received the brunt of Hurricane Sandy, after landfall, the storm tracked north and west, causing extensive wind and rain related damage throughout New England. In Connecticut and Massachusetts alone, hundreds of thousands of people lost power and property damages were in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The perils of wind and rain and their effect on property typically do not end well for businesses located in the hot zone of damage. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, nor’easters, and severe thunderstorms can cause significant damage to commercial properties. Throughout the Northeast, just one severe weather event can cause life-altering wind and rain damage.
If you own a business, your National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy should work together with commercial property insurance to help protect you against the financial losses associated with the flood damage caused by a severe weather event. Contact your local agent to ensure you have the right coverage in place before the next storm hits.
What Are the Types of Wind Damage?
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a strong breeze starts to blow when wind speeds reach at least 25 miles per hour. However, it is not until sustained wind speeds reach tropical storm force at 45 miles per hour that structures typically begin to sustain damage. This is especially true for buildings constructed with highly vulnerable roof tiles. Small trees run the risk of falling into buildings at 63 miles per hour, with hurricane-force winds causing widespread property damage at category one speeds exceeding 75 miles per hour.
Although wind speed is often the culprit for causing tropical storm damage, straight-line winds that move horizontally to the ground can produce the most substantial type of wind damage. Severe straight-line winds that cause substantial damage to commercial and residential structures often develop during a “derecho”, a widespread, long-lived windstorm.
Although a building’s roof is the most susceptible part of a structure to sustain significant damage, a commercial structure also can sustain considerable damage from falling trees and debris landing on or impacting other areas such as doors and windows.
What is Wind-Driven Rain Damage?
Although rain damage is frequently associated with flooding, wind-driven rain damage can also be a significant cause of property damage. Professor Emeritus, Dr. Hugo Hens, defined wind-driven rain damage like this: “In calm weather, raindrops fall vertically. In wind, raindrop paths are oblique; the vertical component is called precipitation and the horizontal component is called wind-driven rain. While precipitation wets horizontal and sloped surfaces, wind-driven rain also humidifies vertical surfaces. The amount of water striking an enclosure in this way makes wind-driven rain a potentially damaging moisture source.”
Wind-driven rain damage occurs when a building experiences prolonged exposure to moisture. Sources of entrance for wind-driven rain damage include doors, siding, windows, missing shingles, and attic ventilation openings.
How Do I Report Rain and/or Wind Damage?
As a business owner, taking swift action after a damaging weather event can help you recover faster from financial losses. Taking quick action to protect property from further damage and ascertaining what is and is not damaged can help mitigate the extent of a loss and expedite the insurance clam process.
Contact Your Agent
Most commercial property insurance plans require business owners to promptly submit notices of a loss as well as document the nature and extent of the damaged property. The written notification may be submitted directly to your insurance company or to the insurance agent that sold you the policy that protects your business against weather-related financial losses. When submitting the written notification, you should include the policy number, as well as your business and personal contact information.
Distinguish Between Damaged and Undamaged Property
In order to record the value of your financial losses, you will need to distinguish between damaged and undamaged property. Damaged property includes assets that you have no chance of restoring to an operable condition. You should also try to determine at this point whether the damaged property succumbed to wind, rain, or another type of weather phenomenon. Consult with the claim adjuster assigned to your claim on what you should do (and not do) to help facilitate the claim process.
Detail the Damage Done to Property
Capture images of all damaged property using both still photos and videos. Make sure to provide a detailed description of the damaged property, as well as where you purchased each damaged item. Including the cost of each item, with proof if possible, helps the insurance adjuster handling your claim to come up with an initial estimate of the total value of your financial losses. You also should include your own estimated value of losses.
There for You: Acadia Insurance
At Acadia, we’re all about helping businesses throughout the Northeast thrive. Our mission is to provide superior service and product as close to you as possible, providing you with the backing you need to proceed with confidence.
We understand what you want most from your insurance is security and peace of mind. That means knowing you are backed by an insurance company who will support you every step of the way to help you protect your business.
With Acadia, not only can you get coverage tailored to your needs, but you will also receive support from dedicated claims professionals to guide you through the claim process in the event of a loss. That way, you know exactly what to expect. Knowing your claims professional by name and a hand shake – that’s “Closer Coverage”. Get to know more about how we work and find an agent near you by going to the Find an Agent section on our public website (www.acadiainsurance.com).
Acadia is pleased to share this material for the benefit of its customers. Please note, however, that nothing herein should be construed as either legal advice or the provision of professional consulting services. This material is for informational purposes only, and while reasonable care has been utilized in compiling this information, no warranty or representation is made as to accuracy or completeness. Recipients of this material must utilize their own judgment in implementing sound risk management practices and procedures.
