It has arrived- the 2018 hurricane season. It seems impossible. The whipping winds, torrential downpours, power outages, floods and resulting damage from the 2017 season are still so fresh in our minds. But nevertheless, here it is.

Officially, the Atlantic hurricane season begins every year on June 1 and runs until Nov. 30. In the Eastern Pacific Ocean, hurricane season begins May 15 and ends Nov. 30, according to the National Weather Service. However, most of these storms hit between August and October, peak hurricane season on both coasts, according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center.

The Insurance Journal has recently published several informational articles concerning the 2018 hurricane season. They address everything from statistics on last year’s damage to predictions for the 2018 hurricane season. But one article that is particularly informative, and aptly named, is What the Florida Industry Needs to Know for the 2018 Hurricane Season. This article discusses the forecast for 2018, Citizen’s position, flood insurance, and post-storm fraud awareness, and it also contains the following helpful preparation tips for insurance agencies:

Insurance Agency Hurricane Preparation Tips

1. Have a business continuation plan in place in the event your office is not accessible following the storm.
2. Assure off site storage and access to paper and electronic records.
3. Communicate with your various carriers regarding your agency’s hurricane response plans and claims processes.
4. Communicate with customers ahead of a storm with instructions on how to file a claim. Should a customer file a claim with your agency or directly with the insurance carrier?
5. Make sure your employees are safe and offices are secured against potential damage.
6. Consider hiring additional temporary support staff to provide customer service following the storm, keeping in mind that some agency employees may not be able to return to work immediately following a storm.

Joe Taylor Restoration has been about the business of actively preparing for the 2018 hurricane season for some time. We were very involved in the clean up last year after Hurricane Irma and the whole of the 2017 hurricane season. And even though our hope is that the 2018 hurricane season is quiet, and that none of these terrible storms make landfall on our great state, we will be ready to serve Florida residents if they do.