Farmers Insurance Group(R) of Companies, including subsidiaries Foremost Insurance and Bristol West, are prepared for deployment to help customers once Hurricane Ike hits landfall in Texas by this weekend.
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"Ike has completed its destructive path through Cuba and is now in the open waters of the Gulf and heading for landfall along the Texas Gulf coast," notes Paul Quinn, Assistant Vice President of Claims Communications for Farmers Insurance. "We will strategically position claims adjusters and Farmers mobile catastrophe units near where the hurricane makes landfall."
Farmers is equipped with Mobile Catastrophe Claims buses that are 45' long and are equipped with state-of-the art satellite communications equipment; can support up to 70 adjusters working on line at any given time; water, supplies; laptop and telephone capability for use by our customers and public; and a built in grill to serve meals to Farmers' customers and others in need. "Our Customer Care Claims Vehicles are smaller versions of our Mobile buses and are ready to assist with claims and supply needs of customers and others in need. Farmers will be available to help in anyway we can," Quinn said.
Farmers Insurance advises its customers in Ike'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. 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. Also, have all prescriptions and important papers readily available 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.
"Something we stress is that Farmers, Foremost or Bristol West customers should not go back to their homes too soon after evacuation, or not to go back for insurance information when they have been told to leave," Quinn continued. "They should put that information on a card or in a folder so they can grab it as they leave.
Once a storm hits, Farmers Insurance customers with damage should immediately contact their agent or call Farmers' 24-hour-claims hotline, 1-800-HelpPoint (1-800-435-7764) for immediate assistance.
Foremost Insurance customers should file their claim by calling: 1-800-527-3907.
For all customers of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association who wish to file a claim call 1-512-899-4900
Bristol West Insurance customers should file their claim by calling: 1-800-274-7865.
Flood victims who have flood insurance should contact the National Flood Program at http://www.floodsmart.gov.org/
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/.
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SOURCE: Farmers Insurance Group
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