It Figures
20
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe added Craighead, Lawrence, Madison, Newton and Saline Counties to the list of state disaster declarations following damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ike on Sept. 13 and 14. The number of counties declared disaster areas stands at 20. Beebe previously declared Carroll, Clay, Cleburne, Garland, Greene, Hempstead, Howard, Izard, Jackson, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Randolph, Sharp and Van Buren Counties. Arkansas Department of Emergency Management is determining whether Arkansas will meet the threshold for federal assistance related to Ike. President Bush approved federal assistance for 18 Arkansas counties following Hurricane Gustav.
500
Five hundred people have died on Oklahoma’s highways so far this year, down from 544 that were killed in traffic accidents by the same time in 2007. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says 38 people have been killed so far in September; 51 people died in Oklahoma auto accidents in September 2007, the Associated Press reported.
8.25%
The National Volunteer Fire Council says the number of volunteer firefighters has decreased nationally by about 8.25 percent since 1984, according to the Associated Press. There were about 897,750 volunteers in 1984 compared to about 823,650 in 2006. Membership among volunteer firefighters in Texas has dropped to levels predating a surge brought on by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, reports Kurt Harris, president of the Texas Fire Marshal’s Association. Many found firefighting less glamorous than they thought it would be or opted for less time-consuming volunteer opportunities, Harris told the Amarillo Globe-News. A recent training event in Canyon, just south of Amarillo in the Panhandle, drew less than 400 volunteers, down significantly from previous years when 1,000 participated.
50%
The U.S. property/casualty industry’s net income after taxes fell more than 50 percent to $15.9 billion in the first half of 2008 on a combination of deteriorating underwriting results and declining investment returns, according to A.M. Best. Net premiums written declined approximately $1.6 billion, or 0.7 percent, to $224.3 billion through the first half of 2008 from $225.9 billion during the same period of 2007. The industry’s overall combined ratio deteriorated to 102.1 in the first half of 2008.