Imagine it's the height of hurricane season as water surface temperatures in the Atlantic tick upwards to dangerously high levels.

A massive low-pressure system, named by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), takes a sharp northwest turn just a few hundred miles off of Florida's southern coast. Reports of the coming storm transcend the niche media devoted solely to the weather, ballooning into a national story leading the six o'clock news in cities across the country. A Category 4 hurricane is roaring towards the southeast U.S. coast with no signs of slowing down.

For the typical person, peaked interest has turned into genuine concern for friends, family and those in the path of the storm. And for the excess and surplus lines property broker, the next 72 hours could literally determine the fate of one's entire career in the insurance industry. It is, after all, a broker's job to service retail agents and policyholders, and these clients will always remember their experience during a major catastrophe. A major hurricane can provide a property broker with a unique opportunity to prove his worth to clients and show retail agents they are doing business with the right person.