Claims adjusters at the ready as severe flooding hits southern Alberta

Several major claims adjusting firms are prepared to respond to the severe flooding situation in southern Alberta, which has forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.

As of Friday afternoon, more than 75,000 residents had had evacuation orders and states of emergency had been declared for several municipalities. 

Independent adjusting firm ClaimsPro said Friday it had mobilized its catastrophic response team to southern Alberta.

Anita Paulic, ClaimsPro’s operations manager for Western Canada, is leading the emergency response. “We are proactively preparing our Catastrophic Response Team to manage the needs of our clients,” she said.

Spoke this morning to @PMHarper, updated him on #abflood. @PMHarper pledged fed govt’s full support in coordinated recovery/rescue efforts

— Alison Redford (@Premier_Redford) June 21, 2013

Granite Claims Solutions’ catastrophe response team also has been alerted and been engaged for flood and storm-related claims in the province, the company said Friday.

The team has adjusters from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec en route to southern Alberta.

Granite Claims’ Kelowna branch manager, Trent Buchanan, was also preparing the company’s Calgary Command Centre and making all necessary arrangements for its adjusters on Friday.

Will become iconic photo of floods. RT @ShaneKeller #HighRiver Man swims after his cat Momo.. #abflood #yycflood pic.twitter.com/LijpDTLaWo

— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) June 21, 2013

“Several of our clients have already made contact with our local adjusters and national account managers,”  Paul Tiller, director of the company’s technical services said Friday.

“We have informed them that our team is en route and we have ample capacity to assist them. As well, Ivan Brosbell, our national CAT leader, has been in constant contact with insurers as he is preparing his team,” he added.

Crawford and Company Canada also said Friday that it has been in contact with clients and has set up emergency protocols to handle the influx of claims. Its Calgary adjusters and national CAT team were both prepared to assist with claims, it said.

Last night @CanadianForces rescued 31 people stranded due to #Alberta floods. Our #CAF continue to assist efforts on the ground. #cdnpoli

— Peter MacKay (@MinPeterMacKay) June 21, 2013

“Our adjusters are highly capable and equipped with the experience necessary to act quickly during times such as this,” John Sharoun, its CEO noted. “Our contact centre has begun to receive calls and we are well positioned to deliver the necessary services to affected areas.”

On Friday, Cunningham Lindsey also said it deployed its own CAT response team to the flood-hit regions.

“We have mobilized a team of adjusters from across our branch network to join our Alberta adjusters and assist with the handling of flood claims affecting hundreds of homes and commercial buildings,” Mike Morris, vice president of national operations for Cunningham Lindsey said.

“Heavy flooding can cause extensive property and automobile damage,” he noted. “Our team has begun contacting residents and business owners to conduct their investigations and manage the high number of claims.”

Image: Blairemore, Alta. on June 20, 2013. (Source: Government of Alberta)