Our Claims Central Coordination Group springs into action any time a potentially catastrophic storm begins to form - establishing a three-phase response plan.

During phase one, the group meets several times daily. They discuss the National Hurricane Center’s and AccuWeather path forecasts. They assess variances in the predicted path and rework plans as the storm’s cone of uncertainty changes. This includes projecting where to stage catastrophe services assets and evaluating potential claims response center sites. They also bring together resources from across the company.

Communication is also a key focus in phase one. This ensures our associates are aware and ready to take care of our impacted customers and handle their claims. We also communicate storm preparedness information to customers and the media in the potentially impacted zone.

“There is nobody who does it better or is more prepared than State Farm,” Claims Section Manager Taylor Van Loon said. “We can’t plan for everything because issues come up. But, when something does come up, we are prepared and ready to respond because the foundation is in place.”

When State Farm begins the planning for these major events - whether it’s a hurricane along the coast, the ongoing wildfires on the West Coast, a tornado outbreak or winter storms - preparation is key. We talk to our team about things like agent business continuity and give virtual claims handling demos. It’s all about building confidence in everybody involved that we have the ability to respond no matter the storm's strength.

Phase two will begin when Delta makes landfall and phase three will come after the storm – once Catastrophe Services has been fully implemented.

“We are in comfortable spot,” Taylor said. “There are no nerves. We are prepared and ready because we have done this before. Now it is a matter of executing the plan we have in place.”

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas. Click the image to learn more about the capabilities of this industry-leading response unit.

More tips and resources:

• Avoid driving if possible. If you have to travel, turn around if the road is flooded or blocked by debris.
• Stay away from downed power lines. Anything touching the power line can carry a charge. Report the downed line and avoid the area.
• Simple Insights:  Hurricane disaster cleanup after the storm

In the News

• CBS WINK TV (Fort Myers, Naples, FL)  Time to review you insurance coverage (08-29-19)
• NBC Ch 6 (Miami) - Are You Ready for Dorian? Get ready now (08-27-19)
• El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Spanish) Is my home insured for hurricanes? (08-26-19)

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas. Click the image to learn more about the capabilities of this industry-leading response unit.

In The News:

• WFSU -  Insurance Company Takes To The Sky After Hurricane Michael (10/17/18)
• WPTV - West Palm Beach:  Insurance companies use drones to assess storm damage for faster, easier claims process (10/18/18)
• WMBB Live in Panama Beach: The Panama City Mall parking lot has become a staging area for work crews. State Farm also has an insurance claim center set up, and mall staff say the mall is working to reopen.(10-15-18)
• WYFF-Greenville, SC:  Flood Insurance on the Rise After Florence (9/18/18)

• The Weather Channel: What to do before and after a hurricane (09/11/18)

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas. Click the image to learn more about the capabilities of this industry-leading response unit.

In The News:

• Forbes: FAA OKs Long-Range Drone Flights Over Populated Areas By State Farm To Assess Florence Damage (9/19/18)

• WYFF-Greenville, SC:  Flood Insurance on the Rise After Florence (9/18/18)

• NBC29-Charlottesville: State Farm Mobile Center Readying to Roll Out of Albemarle County Office (09/14/18)

• Weather Channel: Florence coverage, Jake from State Farm dog (09/13/18)

• WUSA-Washington, DC: What's the difference between water coverage and flood coverage? (09/11/18)

• Bloomington Pantagraph: State Farm: 'Ready to respond' to Hurricane Florence (09/12/18)

• WCCB-Charlotte: State Farm Insurance Not Making Policy Changes In Light Of Hurricane Florence (09/11/18)

• The Weather Channel: What to do before and after a hurricane (09/11/18)

Are you ready?

A little preparation can make a big difference when it comes to safety and security of your family and pets. Homeowners can protect themselves and their property in advance of the storm with a few simple steps:

• Have an evacuation plan. Before the hurricane, decide what you will do. Find out the location of evacuation shelters. Determine if you will ride out the storm in your home (if local authorities permit you to stay), or establish a safe place inland. Plan an escape route. Tell relatives where you will be.

• Put together an emergency kit. The kit should include basics such as water, food, first aid supplies, clothing, blankets, and important documents. Store your kit in airtight plastic bags or a plastic storage container with a lid.

• Protect your property. Stock plywood and materials you may need to board up windows. Move garbage cans and other large objects inside the house or garage. Secure boats and cars.

• Create a home inventory. Make a list of your possessions and their estimated value. 

In The News:

• Hawaii Public Radio: The Conversation: Storm Experiences (home inventory information at 29:40 mark of the program) Aug. 24, 2018

The Hurricane Hunter aircraft were on display as part of the National Weather Services’ (NWS) Hurricane Preparedness Week tour stop at McAllen, presented by the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes. Ruben, a State Farm agent in La Joya, Texas, was invited to attend to answer general questions about insurance preparations.

“When I told my wife we were going to attend this wonderful event I told her that they were bringing the planes to it, too,” Ruben says. “She said ‘I don’t think I would ever dare fly a plane into a hurricane.’ I told her, they don’t fly into them, they fly over them.”

Ruben was half-right.

The NWS uses the WC-130J Hercules, a high-wing, medium-range aircraft as a weather data collection platform that flies into storms and hurricanes, where it collects and reports weather data as often as every minute. It also uses a Gulfstream IV-SP (G-IV) jet that flies around and over developing tropical cyclones to create a detailed picture of the surrounding upper atmosphere.

“So I get there and I asked one of the Hercules crew members how high above the storm does he fly,” Ruben says. “And he said we fly right into it. I had egg on my face. I didn’t know. Everybody has something they can learn.”

The purpose of the tour, presented in part by the FLASH.org, was to educate and raise awareness about the threat of hurricanes as the June 1 opening of the Atlantic Ocean Basin hurricane season nears. Hurricane preparedness includes more than just storm shutters, an evacuation plan and a survival kit.

“A home is more than just a major financial investment. It provides families with shelter from the dangers of severe weather,” Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson says. “Homeownership comes with many responsibilities, the most important of which is protecting the financial investment consumers have made in their homes.”

FLASH.org is promoting #HurricaneStrong, an initiative to promote wholesale preparation through education – which includes understanding storm danger, knowing evacuation routes, have a survival kit and ensuring you have adequate insurance to assist in financial recovery.

“State Farm agents at our stops on the tour are able to answer general questions from consumers and the media about mitigation steps before, during and after a natural disaster,” Leslie says. “We want to help ensure homes are as safe and strong as they can be, and that consumers better understand the role of insurance in protecting them and their belongings inside.”

Ruben has focused on educating consumers of the potential devastation of hurricanes and other storms.

“Hurricane Harvey was a big wake-up call for everybody,” says Ruben, whose community was spared the brunt of the storm last year. “So many people do not understand how insurance works. As State Farm agents, we have responsibility to help educate customers – even if they are not State Farm customers – on how serious the hurricane threat can be.”

And as Ruben learned when he attended the tour, even the experts have something to learn.

For more information on hurricane preparedness, visit the National Weather Service. Click here to find steps on How To Be #HurricaneStrong.