The Edge Of Disaster: What Can Past Hurricane Seasons Teach Us About 2020’s Challenges?

The global pandemic and the associated issues that 2020 has brought, ranging from health risks and social distancing to economic strain and supply-chain difficulties, have framed a year unlike any other. Insureds and claims departments alike are dealing with a host of unprecedented concerns and challenges.

On top of all that, this hurricane season will present some unique considerations when it comes to handling property insurance claims.

How will adjusters travel to loss locations? Where will they stay when they arrive? And once they do get there, will they be able to gain access to damaged properties safely while abiding by social-distancing protocols?

Amid all of these open questions, the most challenging months of a hurricane season are upon us. Early indications were that this season was going to be an active one, and that has largely proven true.

For the first time on record, dating back to 1850, the Atlantic hurricane season produced more than seven tropical systems before August 1. This is more than the number of tropical storms produced by the same date in 2005, the season that brought us Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.