The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies is preparing for Gustav should this storm make landfall along the Gulf Coast as a tropical storm or a hurricane.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080605/LATH062)
Farmers Insurance advises its customers in Gustav's projected path to pay close attention to the latest weather reports and begin making necessary preparations, including:
-- Create a Home Inventory. "Have an up-to-date inventory of all of your personal property," said Paul Quinn, Assistant Vice President of Claims Communications for Farmers Insurance. "Take pictures and then email them to relatives living out of state. A home inventory will help you replace your belongings faster."
-- Prepare an Evacuation Plan. "Plan ahead and map out a safe and smooth evacuation route, and please follow any evacuation orders," Quinn added. "Things can be replaced, nothing is worth putting yourself or your family in harm's way." Quinn also recommends having all prescriptions and important paper work at the ready in case you have to leave your home on short notice. "It is also a good idea to have emergency supplies such as flashlights, radio, batteries and water on hand if you live in a hurricane prone area."
-- Hurricane-Proof Your Home. "We recommend installing storm shutters to protect your windows, or nailing plywood panels to your window frames when a storm approaches," said Quinn. "It is also a good idea to cover your sliding doors with plywood, and to replace old garage doors and tracks with a door that is approved for both wind pressure and impact protection." Quinn explained, "if wind comes into your home through a large opening, it increases your chances of major damage to the rest of your home, especially your roof."
Farmers has two Mobile Catastrophe Claims (MCC) buses and dozens of Customer Care Claims Vehicles (CCV) which are dispatched nationwide during severe weather events.
Once a storm hits, Farmers Insurance customers with damage should immediately contact their agent or call Farmers' 24-hour-claims hotline, 800-HelpPoint (1-800-435-7764) for immediate assistance.
Foremost Insurance customers should file their claim by calling: 800-527-3907.
Farmers Group, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Financial Services, an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Farmers(R) is the nation's third-largest Personal Lines Property & Casualty insurance group. Property and casualty products are underwritten and issued by the Farmers Exchanges and their subsidiaries, which Farmers Group, Inc. manages but does not own. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Farmers insurers provide Homeowners, Auto, Business, Life insurance and financial services to more than 10 million households. For more information about Farmers, visit our Web site at http://www.farmers.com/.
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk,
SOURCE: The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies
CONTACT: Luis Sahagun, +1-323-252-1138, or Michelle Levy,
+1-512-791-7445,
+1-213-400-4459,
+1-850-391-0853,
Insurance Group of Companies
Web site: http://www.farmers.com/
