As the peak of hurricane season approaches, the insurance community is holding its breath, wondering what the coming months will bring. Everyone seems to agree that the best protection against disaster is an effective preparedness plan–one that is well-thought-out and quickly implemented when an event is imminent. The AMS Users Group recently recognized Gulfshore Insurance in Naples, Fla., with its Automation Excellence Award for using a technology-based disaster plan earlier this year to restore agency operations and resume customer service within 24 hours after being struck by a category 3 hurricane.

Our agency is located on the St. Lawrence River, a large waterway that violent windstorms can turn into a churning torrent. In February ice chunks the size of cars and buses, driven by strong winds, slammed against our town's docks and waterfront buildings. Afterward, many of our customers called us to report resulting damage, but only one person believed he had insurance coverage for wind-related loss.

Last month, the New York State Insurance Department issued a circular letter advising agents to educate their customers about flood insurance and to emphasize that standard homeowners and business policies do not cover flood-related losses. In July, central New York state–a region not normally prone to flooding–received almost 11 inches of rain in less than two days, resulting in widespread and severe flooding. Most homeowners and businesses that sustained flood damage had no coverage for it.