The Travelers Companies, Inc., has launched the Travelers Catastrophe Map Viewer, a new capability that, Travelers said in a statement, provides agents and brokers with before-and-after photos of areas affected by disasters.
Travelers added that searchable, high-resolution aerial images often are available within one or two days after a catastrophic event – normally before anyone can physically access the location. This enables agents and brokers to quickly notify customers about the condition of their property and begin the claim process when necessary.
"Waiting to see if your property is safe following an emergency evacuation is stressful," said Patrick Gee, senior vice president of personal insurance claims at Travelers. "With this new tool, our agents and brokers can quickly see which locations were damaged by a catastrophe, allowing them to begin the recovery process with affected customers faster than ever before or provide peace of mind to those whose homes and businesses were unaffected."
The Travelers Catastrophe Map Viewer uses photos provided by the National Insurance Crime Bureau's Geospatial Intelligence Center, which sends aircraft equipped with market-leading aerial camera systems over certain disaster areas to capture images and assess damage. The tool will be most useful in events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires, where damages are evident from above, according to the insurer.
Agents and brokers can access the Travelers Catastrophe Map Viewer by logging into the agents section of Travelers.com, navigating to the claim tab, and clicking on the "View Catastrophe Imagery" button.
Learn more: travelers.com.
Victoria Spears
Victoria Prussen Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn Law School, Ms. Spears was an attorney at a leading New York City law firm before joining Meyerowitz Communications. She may be contacted at [email protected].