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, July 19th, please email Michael Barry at michaelb@iii.org.
I.I.I. Offered Tips On How A Business Can Make Itself More Hurricane-Resistant
The I.I.I.’s news release was issued on Thursday, July 6, and included content from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).
The I.I.I. Briefed The Weather Channel (Twc) On Lightning And Insurance Issues
The I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore gave a live interview on the topic to the TWC on Friday, July 7, at 11:20 a.m., ET.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Issued Its Annual Hot Wheels Report
Older Hondas, and newer Toyotas were favored by thieves in 2016, the NICB reports.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
Atlanta Journal Constitution investigative reporter Carrie Teegardin has contacted Georgia’s insurance department about recent auto insurer rate filings.
Kiplinger Personal Finance’s October 2017 edition will discuss the pros and cons of buying auto and home insurance policies through affinity programs run by wholesalers such as Costco and BJ’s.
The Delaware Business Times’ Kathy Canavan is readying a story on how about 25 percent of the U.S.’s insurance industry employees are aged 55-plus.
CAPITOL HILL
A U.S. House bill with bi-partisan support calls for allowing Roy Woodall, Jr., the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s (FSOC) independent insurance expert, to remain in that post for another 18 months after his FSOC term expires in September 2017.
STATES
Arizona
The Roach Fire began on Friday, July 7, and prompted mandatory evacuations for 800-plus residents of Dudleyville (Pinal County).
California
The New York Times published an article this week chronicling the state’s multiple wildfires.
The Whitter Fire in Santa Barbara County has received the most national media attention.
A state of emergency was declared for Butte County as the Wall Fire forced thousands to evacuate. South Oroville and Kelly Ridge were the communities most affected.
A series of suspicious predawn fires at housing construction sites in Oakland and Emeryville, including a massive blaze last week north of downtown Oakland, was the subject of a major San Francisco Chronicle story.
The I.I.I.’s Janet Ruiz will live tweet from a Wednesday, July 19, 10 a.m., press conference in Sacramento on how summer is the most dangerous time of year for teen drivers.
Florida
The I.I.I.’s Lynne McChristian told The St. Augustine Record the state’s property insurers were well positioned to handle the claims from Hurricane Matthew last year, having built reserves during storm-free years.
WFTV reports one property insurer still has a number of outstanding Hurricane Matthew claims.
Florida saw a 20 percent increase in deaths from boating accidents in 2016, despite just under a two percent increase in overall accidents, WTLV reports.
The federal government’s ability to forecast the intensity of hurricanes could be undermined by proposed cuts in federal funding for tropical weather research, a retiring U.S. hurricane specialist told the Associated Press.
Georgia
The state House of Representatives’ Distracted Driving study committee is holding its first meeting on Monday, August 28, at the Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Room 606, in Atlanta.
Kansas
A number of water slides have closed in the wake of a new state law which took effect on July 1, the Kansas City Star reports. The law was enacted in response to a water slide death last summer in Kansas City, Ks.
Louisiana
Private insurers could reduce the cost of flood insurance for nearly 70 percent of the state’s policyholders, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports, citing a consulting firm’s recent study.
Montana
A magnitude 5.8 quake struck the western part of the state on Thursday, July 6, the strongest temblor to hit Montana in nearly half a century.
Oregon
The state’s Earthquake Insurance Work Group convened for the first time this week, the Northwest News Network reports.
New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a measure allocating $45 million in state monies for the communities impacted by the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River flooding.
Federal funding is available for municipalities whose properties were damaged by the mid-March 2017 snowstorm.
North Dakota
Federal funding is available to municipalities whose properties were damaged by the state’s severe spring flooding (March 23-April 29, 2017).
Oklahoma
State Rep. Glen Mulready (R-Tulsa) has filed the paperwork to run in 2018 for insurance commissioner.
Melissa McLawhorn Houston, the state’s Labor Commissioner, challenged the National Safety Council’s decision to give the state an ‘F’ in workplace safety.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
IIS’s Global Insurance Forum (July 17-20)
The International Insurance Society's (IIS) Global Insurance Forum will take place between Monday, July 17, and Thursday, July 20, in London. Follow the hashtag #IISForum and IIS at @IISSocialMedia on Twitter to follow the conversation.
California’s Wildfires
For frequent updates on the status of the state’s multiple fires, follow @CAL_FIRE, the California Office Emergency Services at @CAL_OES, and @CALFIRE_PIO. You can also follow the I.I.I.’s Janet Ruiz at @Insuring_CAL for further coverage as well as the I.I.I.’s Twitter asccounts for wildfire safety and insurance tips.
National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) ‘Hot Wheels’ Report
Older, pre-"smart-key" production models of the Honda Accord and Civics dominated the list this year as the most stolen vehicles. You can more details on the NICB's Twitter page at @insurancecrime as well as on the I.I.I.’s Twitter account.
Hurricanes are Most Likely to Hit Florida, Texas, or Louisiana
Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach recently released numbers for the top U.S. states having hurricane landfalls since 1851. Florida and Texas topped the list, followed by Louisiana. You can find the chart which was sent out on Twitter yesterday (July 11) at@philklotzbach.
MEDIA MATTERS
Newspaper publishers are calling on Congress to allow them to negotiate collectively with Google and Facebook.
Megyn Kelly's new morning show will debut on NBC on Monday, Sept. 25, at 9 a.m. and will feature a live studio audience.
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.
