Deadly late-season Atlantic hurricanes growing more frequent

by Jeff Masters of Wunderground.com

What may be the final tropical disturbance in the Atlantic (94L) has fizzled, due to dry air and increasing wind shear, and there's an excellent chance that this will be final "Invest" of 2010 in the Caribbean. The 2-week wind shear forecast from the GFS model is showing a dramatic increase in wind shear over the Caribbean in the coming weeks, which should put an end to the Caribbean hurricane season.

However, it's been another remarkably active November in the tropics this year. The formation of Hurricane Tomas this month marks the fourth consecutive year in the Atlantic with a hurricane occurring November 1 or later. We had Category 1 Hurricane Noel in 2007, Category 4 Hurricane Paloma in 2008, Category 2 Hurricane Ida in 2009, and now Category 2 Tomas in 2010.

Read the full article here: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1698

Sinkholes and Related Costs Burning Sunshine State Insurers
by Chad Hemenway of National Underwriter

A new report from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) appears to confirm what insurers in the state have been saying about the problem that sinkhole claims have become.

The findings from 211 insurers that responded to the OIR’s recent data call indicate there is an increase in sinkhole claims, and the reported sinkholes are coming from places in Florida where they have not previously been an issue.

Read the full article here: http://www.property-casualty.com/News/2010/11/Pages/Sinkholes-and-Related-Costs-.aspx

SOURCE: 2010 National Underwriter.

Subtract Deductibles From Repair or Replacement Values - Not From Policy Limits

By www.propertyinsurancecoveragelaw.com

One wrongful adjustment method that occurs from time to time is the practice of taking the deductible from the policy limit. For insurers, this is a way to never pay the policy limit. When this occurs, the underwriter essentially charges unearned premium for the amount of the deductible, and the policyholder never has a chance to fully recover under the policy. Sometimes the practice occurs out of ignorance. Some just take advantage of the unknowing policyholder.

Read the full article here: http://www.propertyinsurancecoveragelaw.com/2010/11/articles/insurance/subtract-deductibles-from-repair-or-replacement-valuesnot-from-policy-limits/

David Morse & Associates Spindles,
Folds and Crushes Industry Average

For a full breakdown of DMA's performance for the year 2010, click here.

USE DAVID MORSE & ASSOCIATES CENTRAL DISPATCH TO ASSIGN

The statistics shown measure elapsed time in days/fractions of days between receipt of assignment and the time of contact, site inspection and first report. The above metrics are based on Xactanalysis® reports, a product of Xactware Solutions Inc., and are used with the permission of Xactware Solutions Inc.