Washington Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer issued guidance for flood survivors and the insurance companies and adjusters handling their claims following the evacuation of thousands of Western Washington residents from their homes during the atmospheric river and floods that slammed into the Pacific Northwest starting on December 8.
Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency due to flooding on December 10.
Related: Pacific Northwest Braces for Even More Flooding Rain This Week
Kuderer sent a letter to the insurance companies adjusting flood loss on Monday, saying she expects insurers to inform insureds how to comply with policy duties after loss to protect their home from further damage. Those instructions include telling policyholders how to photograph, then remove, damaged property from the interior of the home to reduce the spread of
mold.
In the letter, Kuderer urged property owners to follow local authorities’ guidance on when to safely return to their home and begin documenting damage. Kuderer also pointed out how quickly mold can grow after a flooding event.
To address this, she opened the emergency registration of adjusters to streamline the process for out-of-state adjusters to work in impacted areas.
Kuderer also urged people to follow best practices on how to clean after flood damage.
Vantage said it will continue to operate with the same name, brand, and culture, retaining the same roles, teams, and go-to-market strategy.
“We are proud to have partnered with Greg Hendrick and the entire Vantage management team over the past five years and support the launch and build-out of the business,” according to a joint statement from Jim Burr, co-head of Global Financial Services at Carlyle, and Jitij Dwivedi, partner in the Financial Services team at Carlyle.
“Together, we have built a top-tier specialty insurance and re/insurance business, differentiated by its culture and tech-enabled underwriting platform, delivered strong earnings growth and diversified Vantage’s business model through innovative insurance-linked strategies. We think Howard Hughes will be a great home and wish Greg and the Vantage team continued success as it enters its next phase of growth,” they continued.