Dorian's legacy will last years, warns adjuster
The damage Hurricane Dorian inflicted on the Bahamas is making recovery efforts difficult, but adjusters are on-site to assess and close claims as quickly as possible.
Over three weeks after the Bahamas was struck by one of the most powerful and devastating storms in its history, the full extent of the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Dorian is now clear, with Crawford’s President, U.S. Claims Solutions stating it will take years to rebuild.
The death toll in the Bahamas currently stands at 56 (28 September), with over 1,300 people still unaccounted for – a fact further exacerbated by the widely dispersed numbers of transient and undocumented populations, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
While significant efforts have been made across New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco to move evacuees out of shelters, the impact of the storm on critical infrastructure, including power, telecommunications and water supplies remains significant.
Ken Tolson, President, U.S. Claims Solutions at Crawford said that the scale of the devastation they witnessed, with property damage estimated at $7 billion (USD), was due to the fact that Dorian stalled over the islands for far longer than could be anticipated.
“Great Abaco, Grand Bahama and Marsh Harbour have been very badly damaged,” he said. “Normally hurricanes will travel at between 10-15 miles per hour, but Dorian remained static on the islands for 36 hours.
“In cases like this, with sustained winds over 180 MPH for an extended period of time, even the sturdiest structures and exterior cladding is likely to fail.”
He added that the devastation was on such a scale that the vast majority of buildings in the most impacted regions had been severely damaged.
Tolson continued: “In the immediate aftermath of the storm, we were able to get 22 adjusters into Nassau, which did not suffer the level of damage we have seen in some of the other islands, and while there has been some loss of power, the cell service remained operational.
“The major challenge was the logistics of getting our adjusters onto Abaco and the worst-hit islands and areas as access is difficult.”
Crawford has been navigating transportation hurdles in order to deploy resources to impacted areas and has been in constant communication with clients to address their claims management needs.
“Adjusters have been working with local and international carriers to grasp the losses incurred,” he added, “but recovery will take some time due to the hazard levels in many areas.”
Losses will include commercial property, residential property and business interruption claims, particularly for hotel chains on the island. Additionally, it appears that a significant number of losses will be uninsured.
Dorian missed much of Florida and winds and rain impacted coastal areas of Georgia and the Carolinas.
“In terms of the U.S. mainland, we have a target to ensure 90% of all claims are closed in 90 days and we are working to that target.”
However, Tolson said the Bahamas would be a very different story.
“The Bahamas relies heavily on its tourism, and we have seen significant amounts of tourist accommodation damage on the islands.”
With Crawford’s strong links to many of the major hotel chains, Tolson stated the process to rebuild many of the hotels, which are vital to the Bahamas’ economy, will be lengthy.
“Given we are talking about a number of islands, there is an issue as to how supplies can be delivered and the length that process will take,” he continued.
He said it was estimated that Puerto Rico would take 18 months to recover from the damage caused in last year’s hurricane season, but the Bahamas are in a more critical state.
“I think if we are speaking in two years’ time, we will still be working on the claims arising from the Bahamas,” he added. “This will be a long process, and the level of damage is such that many structures will simply need to be bulldozed to the ground and rebuilt.
“There is a real need to get the tourist industry operational again, and with it, the visitors who put a great deal of money into the economy of the Bahamas.”
Kieran Rigby is global president, claims solutions for Crawford & Company. For more information contact him at information@crawco.co.uk.
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