At the beach? The mountains? Disney World?
We were exceptionally pleased that that Delegate Buddy Fowler introduced a Joint Resolution to the General Assembly recognizing both IIAV’s 120th anniversary and establishing the first week of March, in 2019 and thereafter, as Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agents Week. The timing is specifically designed to get our members prepared for Flood Awareness Week and the beginning of hurricane season.
Just last year, a tremendous number of people in the Carolinas found themselves wholly unprepared for the hurricane flooding that occurred and if you remember, Virginia dodged a bullet — with the Governor being criticized for being too prepared. Only about 5 percent of those flooding victims in the Carolinas had flood insurance and we’re in the range of only 6 percent of Virginians with flood insurance.
FEMA is doing everything they can to promote and encourage consumers to have flood insurance. I recently attended a FEMA meeting of emergency management professionals in the Tidewater area where the topic was “How do we get more people to buy flood insurance?” I was shocked when someone actually asked, “Isn’t flood covered in my homeowner’s policy?”
Recently at the legislature, we got into a bit of an argument with a lobbyist with the REALTORS Association when he wanted to amend a bill to say that “flood may be covered in your standard homeowners policy.” We wanted him to show us where and how. The point of the legislation in question was that flood was NOT covered in either a standard homeowners policy or a renters policy.
The implications of NOT carrying flood insurance is going to get more and more dicey. Agents are going to have to start having questions about flood with more and more clients and making sure that they document — and let the homeowner know — that the homeowner declined the coverage.
Legislators who don’t believe in climate change are referring to it as “recurrent flooding.” Others are saying “rising tides.” It doesn’t matter what you call it ... we need to start having these discussions.
IIAV encourages you to use Selective for your flood coverage. They have GREAT customer service. Contact Annette Winston at annette.winston@selective.com. Check out their incentive program in the IIAV news section of this newsletter!
So plan ahead for next year and Independent Insurance Agents Week. Make it a celebration! And start your preparations for promoting more flood insurance for your clients protection and in the meantime, let’s hope for a quiet summer and fall.
Robert N. Bradshaw, Jr., MAM
IIAV President & CEO
Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia