To recap the issues raised during this week’s conference call, here are the key media stories we discussed, and the messages we’re conveying.
If there is a subject you would like to see addressed on Wednesday, September 2, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
I.I.I. MARKS KATRINA’s 10th ANNIVERSARY
The I.I.I. distributed this month a Katrina InfoGraphic, and a number of ‘lessons learned’ news releases, to reporters covering Katrina’s 10th anniversary.
I.I.I., UNIVISION JOIN FORCES TO EDUCATE SPANISH-LANGUAGE VIEWERS ABOUT HOW TO PROTECT THEIR ASSETS IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR NATURAL DISASTER
The I.I.I.’s Elianne Gonzalez and Jeanne Salvatore partnered with New Jersey-based WXTV Univision 41 to host a live Spanish-language helpline on Tuesday, August 25, from 5 to 7 p.m.
INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY (IIHS) RATES 19 NEW MODELS FOR FRONT CRASH PREVENTION
Fourteen (14) of the 19 vehicles earned the highest rating of superior in the latest round of IIHS tests.
OCTOBER 2005’s WILMA IS THE LAST CATEGORY 3-PLUS HURRICANE TO MAKE LANDFALL IN THE U.S., ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA)
It has been 118 months since the last major hurricane–Category 3 or higher–struck the continental United States, NOAA’s historical data found.
CAPITOL HILL
PCI’s Marguerite Tortorello is leaving her post as senior vice president, public affairs, at the end of this month.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig briefed The Wall Street Journal’s Leslie Scism on rising U.S. auto claim frequency trends.
The I.I.I.’s Salvatore was interviewed by Kiplinger Personal Finance’s Miriam Cross about the insurance implications of renting either a home or room through services like Airbnb.
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters spoke with CNBC.com’s Sarah Whitten for a Katrina anniversary-related story on the disaster risks faced by small businesses.
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry worked with The Washington Post’s Danielle Douglas (tuition insurance) and Road & Track magazine’s Zach Bowman (private-passenger policy exclusions involving cars damaged on racetracks).
STATES
Arizona
Governor Douglas Ducey has appointed Darren Ellingson as the state’s Acting Director of Insurance.
California
The I.I.I.’s California Issues subcommittee is having its next quarterly conference call on Wednesday, September 9, at 10 a.m., PT. Wildfire communications, the Great California Shakeout, and El Nino are among the issues on the agenda.
Citing a University of California-Riverside study, a front page story in The Ventura County Star said an offshore 7.7-magnitude earthquake could generate a tsunami, sending the Pacific Ocean’s storm surge into Ventura and Oxnard.
GEICO agreed to pay $6 million and implement several changes to their business practices as part of a settlement with the state’s Department of Insurance.
Florida
Since the call, Governor Rick Scott declared a statewide state of emergency in preparation for Tropical Storm Erika.
Citizen’s, the state-run property insurer of last resort, outlined at a Tuesday, August 25, public hearing in Tallahassee its proposed rate schedule for 2016.
Georgia
Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens announced this week the arrest of 11 Macon residents for their alleged roles in a staged accident ring, a story which was picked up by NBC’s Macon affiliate.
Kansas
The state Geological Survey’s interim director said the number of earthquakes statewide have decreased since the Kansas Corporation Commission ordered oil companies in two southern counties to reduce the amount of saltwater they inject into the ground.
Mississippi
FEMA administrator Craig Fugate toured Hancock and Harrison counties yesterday (Tuesday, August 25) to tout the region’s post-Katrina recovery as well as the improvements FEMA has made to its operations over the past 10 years.
New York
The I.I.I.’s Salvatore appeared on New York City’s NBC affiliate to discuss disaster preparedness and insurance issues.
Roy Wright, the head of FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Nassau County) held a press conference to remind Sandy flood claimants they have until Tuesday, September 15, to seek a review of their claim.
Ohio
The Columbus Dispatch wrote about an InsuranceQuotes.com survey which said “poor credit means higher homeowners insurance costs.”
Oklahoma
Insurance Commissioner John Doak said that “scientists at both the Oklahoma Geological Survey and the University of Memphis have concluded that many of the earthquakes in Oklahoma were likely caused by wastewater disposal wells.”
Pennsylvania
Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller issued a price optimization bulletin.
Washington
The Okanogan Complex wildfires now cover nearly 260,000 acres, making them the largest in state history. About 1,250 firefighters, including those from the National Guard and crews from Australia and New Zealand, are battling the fires, USA Today reports.
MEDIA MATTERS
Wyatt Andrews, a longtime national correspondent for the CBS Evening News, is retiring effective Tuesday, September 1.
Jamie Gangel has joined CNN as a special correspondent. She left NBC News in 2013.
The I.I.I. is cited regularly in the media as an authoritative source of insurance information. To access the current I.I.I. press clips, click here
For an I.I.I. Blog search, click here.
