Seven new storm surge databases from Marshall and Swift/Boeckh (MS/B) are available for download by users of the IntegriClaim property claims estimator. This gives claims professionals the most recent storm surge data. The total component databases for Beaumont, Tex.; Lake Charles and Shreveport, La.; Jacksonville and Key West, Fla.; Wilmington, N.C., and Toronto, Ont. can be accessed from MS/B's Web site, http://www.msbinfo.com.

MS/B's research department continues to monitor material and labor costs in areas affected by hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Ophelia, Rita, and Wilma. Storm surge databases are developed, posted, and updated on a regular basis as warranted. The databases are accessible by IntegriClaim users from any browser and are included in MS/B's Catastrophe Response Plan. There now are a total of 12 storm surge databases available for download.

Also, two MS/B research teams are traveling to the hurricane areas, with one team going from Mobile, Ala., to Houston, Tex., and another from New Orleans to Jackson, Miss., interviewing insurance adjusters and contractors in affected areas as well as visiting material suppliers to validate data they have been receiving. "Using this information, MS/B's underwriting analytics and claims analytics groups can work with insurance companies to develop concentration of risk analyses for improving catastrophe modeling and reinsurance," says Pascal Lorthioir, vice president of research and development for MS/B.