Develop a Formal Plan While severe storms are not common in Chicago, we do have our share of wind, water, seepage and hail to contend with. In one severe storm example, according to the Energy Information Administration, between 4:00 pm on August 23, 2007 and 10:49 pm on August 28, at least 629,590 customers had been affected by power loss. That historical storm knocked down trees, damaged buildings and caused severe flooding. The event taught us that even without a “F4” or “F5”category tornado, a major storm in the Chicago metropolitan area can cause significant property damage over a wide-spread area. Every association can benefit from identifying risks and finding ways to minimize them. Developing a formal plan will help you to react quickly if and when a loss should occur.
Analyze Your Exposure to Loss In order to measure and address your risks, you must first analyze your exposure to loss. Summer storms are associated with high winds, lightning, flash-floods, sewer backups, hail and blowing rain. Some exposures can be controlled or eliminated with loss control but you will also need to determine if your insurance is adequate to cover the rest. Consider the following:
building that are susceptible to these forces?
in your area incurred these type of losses in the past?
You have survived another Chicago winter of freezing
temperatures, snow, and pipe bursts, and you are ready for a little relief. Bring on the warm weather, blooming landscapes and outdoor activities! Spring and summer conditions carry their own set of risks.
past losses to prevent them from recurring in the future?
Preparation and Loss Control Outdoor property and preventing the wind and water from entering your building are key areas to focus on when minimizing losses. Roof and balcony damage due to extreme wind conditions, backup of sewers and drains, flooding, landscape and tree damage can all be sustained in a summer storm.
significant, any obstruction can
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cause water to back up quickly. Roof drains can back up very rapidly so it is important to keep them clear of debris.
outdoor furniture in place at high wind speeds, heavy steel furniture with openings for the wind to move through will be more effective than lightweight furniture, or heavy table tops such as mosaic tile that can be lifted up by the wind.
branches and limbs that could break easily and cause damage during a storm. Trim those branches and limbs on a regular basis.
After the Loss
Emergency response procedures should be designed to address the risks involved with your condominium association since a storm event will require more planning than an individual loss event such as a fire or a pipe break. In a large scale storm, other associations, businesses and homeowners will be looking for help at a mitigation contractor that can provide a priority response to your property?
contractors can be overwhelmed and may not have time for every client. Make sure that your contact list includes back-up individuals and contractors to call.
free numbers that are available 24-hours a day and 7-days a week to report property losses. Depending on the scope of the storm damage, additional insurance adjusters may be called in from outside the state.
report the claim to your insurance carrier promptly, and remind unit owners to contact their insurance carriers directly.
as soon as possible after the loss, so that you may promptly determine a plan to move forward.
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