INSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE
New York Press Office: (212) 346-5500; media@iii.org
NEW YORK, August 22, 2011
— Reporters covering Hurricane Irene, which swept through Puerto Rico last weekend and could make landfall on the U.S. mainland later this week, can find a wealth of information on insurance and hurricanes ON the Insurance Information Institute’s (I.I.I.) website.
Tropical storms are upgraded to hurricanes after they generate maximum sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour (mph). Irene is the first storm of 2011 to become a hurricane in the Atlantic basin. The last hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. was Ike, which hit Texas in September 2008, causing billions of dollars in insured losses. Forecasters envision Hurricane Irene may impact Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Wind damage from both tropical storms and hurricanes is covered under standard homeowners and business insurance policies. Flood damage resulting from storm surge caused by hurricanes, is excluded under standard homeowners and renters insurance policies; however flood coverage is available both from the
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and from a few private insurance companies.
Damage to cars from wind is covered under the comprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy; it is an optional coverage, although
more than 75 percent of all Americans choose to purchase it.
The I.I.I.’s hurricane-related online resources include:
CONSUMER INFORMATION
VIDEOS
To arrange an interview with the I.I.I., please call the New York City press office at 212-346-5500. Lynne McChristian, the I.I.I.’s Florida-based media relations representative, can be contacted at 813-480-6446, or via email at
lynnem@iii.org.
THE I.I.I. IS A NONPROFIT, COMMUNICATIONS ORGANIZATION SUPPORTED BY THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY.
Insurance Information Institute, 110 William Street, New York, NY 10038, (212) 346-5500 |www.iii.org