PCI Hosts Briefing to Assist Communities With Natural Disaster Preparation, Recovery

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America issued the following news release:

The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) today hosted a policy briefing entitled "Natural Disasters: Preparedness, Response and Recovery" on Capitol Hill to provide an update on Hurricanes Harvey and Irma recovery efforts, and resources for congressional staff to assist constituents with preparing for - and recovery from - natural disasters.

The event was the first installment in PCI's 2017 Capital Engagement Series. Kyle Glenn, PCI's assistant vice president, federal government relations opened the event. Jenn Fogel-Bublick, spokesperson for the SmarterSafer.org coalition, moderated the panel of experts, including Debra Ballen, general counsel and senior vice president of public policy at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS); Doug Hilderbrand, lead of NOAA's Weather-Ready Nation; and Martin Mullen, chief claims officer for The Cincinnati Insurance Company, a PCI member.

"PCI and our members are committed to helping policyholders affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma - getting families back in homes; cars back on the road; and businesses re-opened," said Glenn. "PCI continues to work with our members and others in the industry to increase consumer education on catastrophe preparedness and insurance coverage. Preparing for natural disasters is a year-round activity. It's not a matter of if the next disaster will happen, but when. We are pleased to partner with The Cincinnati Insurance Company, SmarterSafer.org, IBHS, and NOAA's Weather-Ready Nation to discuss the role of public policy in saving lives, reducing the costs of disasters, and assisting policyholders with the recovery process."

"SmarterSafer-- a broad based coalition of taxpayer advocates, insurance representatives, environmental groups, housing organizations and mitigation experts-- is pleased to work with our member PCI to promote environmentally-responsible, fiscally-sound natural disaster policies," said Fogel-Bublick. "In the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, it is critical that Congress not only focuses on emergency relief efforts, but also on reforming disaster policies so that those affected can rebuild their lives and property in smarter, safer ways, and are better protected from future extreme weather events."

"When it comes to extreme weather events, building design, construction, and maintenance can make a huge difference in how quickly a home or business owner is able to recover. As the recovery process begins in areas battered by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, IBHS hopes these communities will focus on strong, resilient building practices to give them a head start in preparing for the inevitable storms yet to come," said Ballen.

"Building a Weather-Ready Nation takes a whole community approach where government, businesses, and individuals know their risk, take action, and serve as examples to others," said Hilderbrand.

"With multiple hurricanes and wildfires affecting the U.S. this year, it's the right time for PCI to share how the insurance industry helps policyholders prepare for and recover from such events. At Cincinnati Insurance, we know it's critically important to have people ready and plans in place to respond quickly and compassionately to effected policyholders, helping them get their lives back on track," said Mullen.

The PCI Capital Engagement Series is a series of briefings and policy discussion that bring together insurance industry thought leaders to discuss the importance of property casualty insurance and the current issues impacting the industry.

PCI promotes and protects the viability of a competitive private insurance market for the benefit of consumers and insurers. PCI is composed of nearly 1,000 member companies, representing the broadest cross section of insurers of any national trade association. PCI members write $216 billion in annual premium, 36 percent of the nation's property casualty insurance. Member companies write 43 percent of the U.S. automobile insurance market, 29 percent of the homeowners market, 34 percent of the commercial property and liability market and 36 percent of the private workers compensation market.