Hurricane Sandy Hits National Flood Services — One of Kalispell, Montana’s Largest, Private Employers

Kalispell, Montana (PRWEB) December 11, 2012

When Hurricane Sandy began making its way toward the Mid-Atlantic in late October 2012, a surge of preparation was underway at National Flood Services. This private company is based in Kalispell, Montana, and provides all aspects of flood insurance services for insurance companies participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) under FEMA. Readying for flood events following a hurricane requires a response team able to work with tens of thousands of individuals – victims of the storm. When Hurricane Sandy struck the Eastern Seaboard, teams in Montana rallied. With nearly 350 employees in the Kalispell corporate office and almost 125 from their three Florida service centers and remote locations throughout the United States, all employees participate in some aspect from taking claims calls, supporting internal NFS claims teams, and supporting client efforts.

NFS is growing. In the past decade, NFS expanded its facilities in Kalispell and Florida while adding hundreds of new employees. This is evident in the fact that Hurricane Sandy is generating more claims for NFS than Hurricane Katrina. Immediately following the super storm, call center volume peaked at around 11,000 calls per day. Flood follows many events from overdevelopment, dam and levee failure to snowmelt, hurricanes, and rainfall. This means claims come from all states within the country, including U.S. territories such as Guam and Puerto Rico.

Additionally, in the last five weeks, NFS ramped up staff even more by hiring approximately 80 local temporary workers at the Kalispell corporate office. These individuals were coached to take claims calls and learn the claims process as they work personally with flood insurance policyholders. This hiring spree is a boon to the local economy. It provided much needed income for people as we enter into the holiday season and at a time of year when there are seasonal layoffs. “We anticipate we will have a need for many temporary workers here at NFS due to Hurricane Sandy at least through the winter months and well into spring,” said Human Resources Manager, Cindy Carpenter. “We are very fortunate to draw from a pool of skilled people who provide amazing service to flood victims.”

For President and CEO, Steve Harty, Hurricane Sandy occupies every aspect of his life, both professionally and personally. Steve divides his time between Montana and his home in a community outside of New York City. He flew back to the East Coast just before the storm hit. “We were without power for over a week. Thankfully I had my smartphone with cell service, but keeping it charged was a challenge at times. Now the focus is on cleaning up and rebuilding throughout many areas in the Mid-Atlantic, including my own neighborhood.”

NFS also sends team members to various locations in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They work with victims of Hurricane Sandy, providing information on disaster assistance, flood insurance, and helping out wherever they are able. The recently launched educational flood risk website, FloodTools.com, is also helping people better understand their personalized flooding potential.

Although hurricanes don’t directly hit Montana, they do impact one small community in a very big way.

About National Flood Services
National Flood Services (NFS), the leader in flood insurance processing and innovation, is based in Kalispell, Montana with customer service centers in the following Florida locations: St. Petersburg, Coral Springs, and Lakeland. NFS offers their Property and Casualty Insurance Company client’s full-service solutions for their insurance processing needs; from policy and claims administration to web-based agency solutions and superior customer service support. Founded in 1985, NFS continuously improves services through new technology, fundamental practices, and innovation. For more information on flood risk, visit FloodTools.com.

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