BOSTON AND RHODE ISLAND INSURANCE COMPANIES BRACING
FOR FLOOD OF DAMAGE CLAIMS CAUSED BY THE MASSIVE WINTER STORM JUNO
January 27, 2015
Winter Storm Juno pounded parts of
the Northeast with heavy snow, high winds and coastal flooding from late Jan.
26 until early Jan. 28.
Lighter snow from Winter Storm Juno
also fell in parts of the Upper Midwest and Ohio Valley late Jan. 24 into Jan.
25.
For Worcester, Massachusetts, Juno
was the heaviest snowstorm on record in the city with 34.5 inches. Boston saw
24.6 inches, making it the sixth heaviest snowstorm for the city.
Elsewhere, Providence, Rhode Island
saw its fourth heaviest snowstorm on record with 19.1 inches. In Portland,
Maine, Juno was the fourth heaviest snowstorm on record with 23.8 inches.
The National Weather Service in
Taunton, Massachusetts said that several locations across eastern Massachusetts
and Rhode Island met their criteria for blizzard conditions. This includes 14
hours of blizzard conditions in Marshfield, Massachusetts on Jan. 27. Blizzard
conditions also occurred in parts of Maine and coastal New Hampshire, according
the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine.
Farther south in the New York City
area, snow totals ranged from 6.5 inches in Newark to 9.8 inches at New York
City's Central Park and 11.4 inches at La Guardia airport. Parts of Long Island
saw more than 2 feet of snow.
In the days and weeks that follow
this blizzard, local insurance companies and agents say they expect a surge of
phone calls as homeowners, businesses, and drivers try to recoup losses from
snow, wind and water damage.
The storm was expected to dump up to
three feet of snow in some parts of Massachusetts. It caused flooding of homes
and businesses in Scituate and Chatham, left nearly 35,000 people without power
Tuesday afternoon, including many who live in Nantucket and Plymouth and
stranded vehicles on the roadways.
Residents in Hull, Marshfield and
Scituate were evacuated as the Atlantic Ocean spilled into neighborhood usually
flooded during storms. A portion of the seawall in Marshfield was destroyed.
And the Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth was shut down after two
transmission lines that carry power from the plant to the power grid were
knocked down.
Overall, however, the severity and
scale of the damage may be limited because the cold temperatures kept the snow
dry and light, meaning fewer downed power lines and tree branches. Still,
insurance companies say it is too early to determine the financial impact of
this storm.
“The lighter snow is beneficial, but
it always comes down to snow totals,” said Joe Salerno, the vice president of
claims at Quincy-based Arbella Insurance. “Three feet of light snow is still a
lot of snow.”
And as temperatures warm or it
rains, that snow will get heavier and potentially cause roof damage, he added.
Fallen limbs hitting cars and
garages, burst pipes, roof damage from snow, flooding, fires caused by portable
heaters and generators, and car accidents are among the most common claims
filed after severe winter weather, and that likely will happen after this
blizzard, said Thomas Skelly, the past chairman of the Massachusetts
Association of Insurance Agents and vice president with Deland, Gibson
Insurance Associates in Wellesley.
“We’ll see these claims,” Skelly
said. Some clients, he added, may not notice damage caused by the blizzard,
such as water damage to inside walls, until weeks later when the snow starts to
melt.
Skelly, other insurance agents, and
companies such as Liberty Mutual and Commerce Insurance closed their local
offices on Tuesday. But many had information on their websites about filing
claims. They also were checking voicemails and directing customers to service
centers in parts of the country unaffected by the blizzard.
Liberty Mutual, for example, has
claims service offices in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Colorado and Washington, that
handle initial customer calls, said Glenn Greenburg, a company spokesman.
Powerful winter storms have occurred
frequently in recent years and they have triggered more insurance claims at
higher costs across the country. Last year, winter weather was blamed for 15
percent of automobile, home, and business insurance claims in the United
States, more than double the 20-year average of 6.7 percent, according to the
Insurance Information Institute, an industry group based in New York City.
The losses amounted to $2.3 billion
in 2014, up from the average of $1.2 billion annually, the institute said. Most
of the damages were blamed on the Polar Vortex, which brought icy-cold weather
and snow storms to much of the country last January.
State insurance officials said
consumers should review their homeowners and auto insurance policies to make
sure they know their coverage limits and deductibles.
In some parts of the state, such as
Cape Cod, insurance companies cover wind damage, but the deductibles are fairly
high, meaning a consumer’s out-of-pocket expense could be thousands of dollars,
before the insurance company pays for the losses.
“We encourage consumers to check
their policies so they have a better understanding of what is or is not covered
if they are impacted by the storm,” said Acting Commissioner Gary D. Anderson
in statement.
Flooding is also usually not covered
under most policies. Homeowners and businesses in flood-prone areas or along
the coastline are usually required by lenders to purchase separate flood
insurance plans.
Consumers shouldn’t make permanent
repairs until an insurance adjuster has inspected the damage, but they should
take care to protect their property, such as covering holes or removing water,
state insurance officials said.
Skelly said that property owners
should take photos of damage caused by falling limbs and flooding and keep
receipts for any temporary repairs they make.
“Document, document, document the
loss,” he said. “Keep receipts and take pictures and have enough paperwork to
impress adjusters who won’t get in until Thursday and Friday.”
Winter storm Juno knocks over USS Providence; tall ship no match for strong wind
Rhode Island's tall ship, a replica of the USS
Providence, rests on its side on the dock at at the Newport Shipyard after
strong wind gusts topped it during the snowstorm Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in
Newport, R.I. Owner and captain Thorpe Leeson said the ship, stored there for
the winter, sustained extensive damage. (AP Photo/Newport Daily News, Dave
Hansen) (Dave Hansen)
January 27, 2015
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode
Island's tall ship has been toppled by strong wind gusts during the snowstorm
that's pounding the state.USS Providence owner and captain Thorpe Leeson said Tuesday that the ship was extensively damaged when it fell on its side overnight at the Newport Shipyard. It was stored there for the winter.
Leeson says the mast is broken and the hull is punctured. Extra supports were added as a precaution, but they couldn't sustain the heavy winds.
Leeson vows that the ship will "come back to life."
Leeson says he expects insurance to cover the damage, and he plans to get the ship in the water by the end of the summer.
The replica of the Continental sailing vessel Providence is the state flagship and tall ship ambassador.
