The Little Things

Like much else in life, when it comes to catastrophes, it’s the little things that count.

Thousands of homeowners and business owners who will spend the coming months recovering from the after-effects of Tropical Storm Fay are learning the hard way about the value of the many little things that help them run their lives better.

The reality is that, in a disaster, people often lose access to things they weren’t thinking about losing. These include licenses, deeds, financial paperwork, titles, tax returns, policy numbers, power of attorney and other legal documents, cash, wallets, inventories, keys to a safety deposit box and other paperwork one forgets about until it’s crucially important to have.

Those seeking respite from their insurers did not have a particular catastrophe in mind when they first strolled casually through the doors of their local insurance agency however long ago. Many, when they left, thought little more about the reality of a disaster until it came blowing, flooding, foaming, raining or crashing through their front doors. After all, they’re paying their agents to worry about it, right?

Good agents do more than worry about it. They stress the need for preparation — and their service goes beyond rubber stamping a policy.

All of those little things should be included as part of a disaster kit, advises the American Red Cross and other agencies. The question people should ask themselves is, “If I can’t get into my house for a month, will I have the important information that I’ll need, so that I can get back into my house, and so I can get my life back to normal?” said Jeanne Salvatore, a spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute, a nonprofit funded by the insurance industry.

That’s a question agents, who unfortunately often find themselves in disaster-prone relationships, should be posing to clients. Agents are in the business of making things right when disaster strikes; they should also be in the business of making the post-disaster and claims process go smoothly for their clients.

The post-disaster process can very difficult for insureds but it shouldn’t be that tough for experienced agents. Sometimes making clients aware of and pointing out a few resources is all that’s needed. Here are just a few recommendations.

The American Red Cross and the Department of Homeland Security both offer resources and checklists for helping prepare a disaster kit. They are available at www.redcross.org and www.ready.gov.

The Insurance Information Institute has software to help homeowners inventory their personal property. The site is available at www.knowyourstuff.org.

These are some first but crucial steps that clients will wish they had undertaken — often when it’s too late. It may just be a little piece of advice their agent offers, but in this case, that little piece of advice can make a big difference.