Over the past two months, the United States has sustained significant damage by three hurricanes, Harvey, Irma, and Maria. While some insureds had adequate insurance to cover the loss and expenses, many did not. However, even with coverage there are still many issues to face.

One of the first issues is debris removal. Many insureds are instructed not to dispose of debris until the adjuster has seen it, and photographs are not always acceptable as proof of loss. This forces the insured to pile debris in the yard or on the curb for an undetermined period. The lack of adjusters makes this doubly complicated; carriers cannot get adjusters to the sites fast enough to prevent the ruined property from scavengers or from deteriorating even more. Even once the property has been inspected, these areas have sustained so much damage that insureds are waiting significant amounts of time for the debris to be cleared away.

Lack of trained adjusters is another huge obstacle. It is common for a carrier to send adjusters from areas not affected by storms to the storm area; with three storms close together and extensive damage to all areas, the lack of adjusters is staggering, and expands beyond the storm area. Out of state adjusters have to have housing and may have to stay a distance away from the loss sites since there may be no lodging there. They then have to find their way around in an unfamiliar area. GPS is a godsend, but there are still difficulties. This is where drones can be tremendously helpful to the industry. They can go places that may be unsafe for adjusters and speed processing of claims, something of utmost importance in a time of crisis. When adjusters are pulled from other areas to work the disaster areas, then those areas are now short adjusters as well, possibly lengthening settlement times for people with losses nowhere near the disaster site.

Another issue adjusters face is licensing. Some states require adjusters to be licensed, so that an out-of-state adjuster may face licensing issues. While many states require licensing, they generally have parameters for catastrophes. For example, Texas will issue an emergency license for 90 days for a $20 fee for all but public insurance adjusters. An adjuster must complete an application and fingerprinting is waived. The adjuster must be sponsored by a licensed adjuster or sponsoring company.

Adjusters also withstand the worst of insureds' frustrations and anger. Many insureds are unaware of what their policies do and do not cover, and when an adjuster has to tell them there is no coverage the insured may lash out at the adjuster, especially if their losses are severe.

Contractor fraud is a huge issue, and this is where the producer can render assistance. Just making insureds aware that there are dishonest contractors that may take advantage can be a huge help. Providing insureds with a checklist of how to look for, hire, and work with a contractor, as well as how to spot a fraudulent one can greatly help insureds. Many insurance departments have issued bulletins for consumers in order to make them aware of such issues. They include tips on identifying a scam, preventing contractor fraud, and hazards of purchasing used vehicles. Producers can assist their insureds by making them aware of these issues, and providing accurate information and assistance.

Eventually the debris will be gone, the dust will settle, and people will be somewhat back to normal. What then? A producer may receive questions concerning flood policies and coverages and should be prepared with accurate information. While flood coverage is expensive in some areas, helping an insured weigh that expense against replacing everything in the lower section of the dwelling can be helpful. A review of mitigation aspects is also important. If an insured cannot afford flood coverage, what can he do to mitigate potential future losses? Storm shutters, moving items up off the floor, sand bags, sealing basement walls and even elevating the home can prevent future losses. Communities can invest in better storm water management. Better storm water management would help prevent the storm water being contaminated by sewage and becoming toxic to residents as they try to escape rising water.

Helping insureds understand flood terms and risks is also helpful. Many people misunderstand the term 100-year flood, and think that their chance of loss is 1 in 100 years, leaving them with a false sense of security. An understanding that a 100-year flood means that there is a 1 in 100 chance of flood in any given year, and that it is entirely possible for such floods to happen consecutively. This knowledge helps insureds assess their individual chance of loss.

Encouraging all insureds to create a home inventory is extremely important. Many people underestimate the value of belongs and even forget about some property. Immediately after a disaster people tend to be stressed and unfocused; having to create a proof of loss and listing everything that has been lost is daunting. There are many online sites that enable an insured to create an inventory online, and there are phone apps as well that also allow an insured to take pictures of property. This can be tremendously helpful in creating an inventory and ensuring that insureds' have sufficient property limits.

These are some things that deserve consideration at and after a flood occurs. The more prepared insureds are the better their chances of avoiding or mitigating a loss so that the damage is not extreme.

Christine G. Barlow, CPCU is managing editor with FC&S®, the premier resource for insurance coverage analysis. She has an extensive background in insurance underwriting. She may be reached at [email protected]. Additional information about FC&S Online is available at www.NationalUnderwriter.com.