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, June 3, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
I.I.I. ACTIVATES ITS DISASTER NEWSROOM AFTER DEADLY FLOODS HIT TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
Since the call, the I.I.I. has sent Lynne McChristian to Houston, activated its Disaster Newsroom, and issued a news release offering insights and analysis on flood insurance take-up rates in Texas’ Hays and Harris counties.
U.S. SAYS ‘BELOW-NORMAL’ 2015 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON IS LIKELY
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts 6-11 named storms, 3-6 hurricanes and 0-2 major (Category 3+) hurricanes will develop in the Atlantic basin between June 1 and November 30, 2015.
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) MAY FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES OVER ITS HANDLING OF DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCHES
Federal prosecutors still have to “hash out key issues with GM including whether the auto maker will need to plead guilty and how big a fine it will have to pay,” The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reports.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore will appear live on The Weather Channel on Monday, June 1, at 6:10 a.m., ET, with her Wake Up with Al interview pegged to the first day of hurricane season.
The I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig discussed NOAA’s 2015 Atlantic hurricane season forecast with The Hartford Courant’s Matt Sturdevant and Climate Wire’s Evan Lehmann.
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters briefed Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine’s Patricia Mertz Esswein regarding the implications for homeowners insurance of installing solar panels, and discussed auto insurance and driverless cars with Nerd Wallet’s Amy Danise.
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry provided a statement to National Public Radio’s (NPR) Connecticut-based Charles Lane for a story Lane is preparing on a proposal to scrap altogether FEMA’s Write Your Own (WYO) program.
The I.I.I.’s Barry said The New York Times’ Josh Barro, a columnist at The Upshot, is doing research into the types of natural disasters which caused the most insured losses in the U.S. over the past decade.
CAPITOL HILL
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer’s (D-New York) formal call for an end to the WYO program was the front page story in Long Island Newsday’s Friday, May 22, print edition (subscription required).
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is holding a public hearing on Thursday, July 2, to determine whether automaker Fiat Chrysler has failed to remedy safety defects, and issue required notices, in 20 recalls.
STATES
Alabama
Rep. Allen Farley, who represents Jefferson and Shelby counties, said in this editorial that judges are not enforcing 2014’s Ignition Interlock bill, a law that has been on the books since last July.
California
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced today (May 27) his approval of a new Farmers product “that closes the gap in insurance coverage for drivers driving for ride-hailing companies, such as UberX, Lyft and Sidecar.”
The Personal Insurance Federation of California (PIFC) is supporting Senate Bill 405, as amended on April 6. Its goal is to reduce the number of persons whose drivers licenses are suspended for violations that do not affect public safety.
The I.I.I.’s California Issues subcommittee is convening on Wednesday, June 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at PIFC’s office, 1201 K Street, Sacramento. More than 20 people are expected to participate.
Louisiana
The Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association’s (LIGA) board voted late last week to allocate $74 million of LIGA’s monies to the state’s general fund; the transfer can take place only if it is authorized by the state Legislature.
An EF-1 tornado touched down in Kenner on Tuesday morning, May 26, downing trees and power lines and causing structural damage to at least one building, according to the National Weather Service.
New York
FEMA’s letters to more than 144,000 Sandy flood claimants, asking them if they would like to revisit their claim, are starting to arrive, according to an NPR story.
Oklahoma
Two years after an EF-5 tornado devastated Moore on May 20, 2013, numerous families and businesses still have not recovered economically from the natural disaster, according to a story last weekend in The Oklahoman
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
The heavy rains and severe flooding that hit Texas and Oklahoma this week have been a much discussed topic on social platforms. The vast majority of the conversation is from media outlets, which are posting updates as new information comes in, such as details on relief efforts and highway safety updates. People are also posting about being stranded in their homes or, if you were at the Monday, May 25, Houston Rockets game, at the Toyota Center. The Rockets were concerned about allowing 18,000 fans out into the inclement weather and invited them stay there even after the game ended.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 24 – 30, 2015. To mark the occasion, I.I.I. has been posting hurricane preparedness tips and related information this week on social. The I.I.I.’s Hurricane Season Insurance Checklist garnered 130 clicks, making it the I.I.I.’s most popular post. To follow hurricane preparedness week on social, use the hashtags #HurricanePrep and #ItOnlyTakesOne.
Released earlier today, NOAA’s 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season forecast is already gaining lots of social media traffic. The federal agency predicted another below normal season.
Finally, thanks to a push we gave it prior to Memorial Day weekend, our grilling safety article was the I.I.I.’s most shared content in social last week.
MEDIA MATTERS
Charter Communications wants to buy Time Warner Cable in a deal valued at $55 billion.
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.
