ALEXANDRIA, Va.—An estimated
32 million people across the U.S. plan
to host parties or gatherings near wa-
ter this summer, according to new re-
search by “Trusted Choice” and the
Independent Insurance Agents & Bro-
kers of America (Big “I”), yet they may
not be aware of all the risks nor pre-
pared in case of an accident.
mer parties, testing the waters with sports and recreational watercraft, firing up outdoor grills, and uncovering backyard swimming pools,” says Madelyn Flannagan, Big “I” vice president of agent development, education, and research. “Summer can be lots of fun, but it’s important to take a few precautionary steps to limit seasonal risks.”
“Summer has arrived and for the next few months, many people will take advantage of the weather by hosting sum-
In a national survey, more than 43% of respondents, representing 98.6 million households, said they plan to host a party or any kind of social gathering this summer. Of those, more than 32%, representing more than 32.1 million households, indicated that their event will be held in or around water (such as a pool, beach, boat, lake, etc.).
ANDOVER, Mass.—In its latest tropical update for 2010, WSI (Weather Services International) now calls for 19 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five intense hurricanes (category 3 or greater). The 2010 forecast numbers are well above the long-term (1950- 2009) averages of 10 named storms, six hurricanes, and two intense hurricanes and slightly above the averages from the more active recent 15-year period (1995-2009) of 14/8/4. These numbers are also a slight decrease from the June forecast numbers of 20/11/5.
Further, WSI’s hurricane landfall forecasting model (developed in collaboration with reinsurance intermediary Guy Carpenter) continues to suggest that the coastal region from the Outer Banks of North Carolina northward to Maine is twice as likely as normal to experience a hurricane this year.
“Record warm tropical Atlantic ocean
temperatures and an enabling wind
shear environment should result in a
very active tropical season this year,”
said WSI Chief Meteorologist Dr.
Todd Crawford. “The El Nino event
has vanished completely, resulting in a
decrease in central tropical Pacific con-
vection and a concomitant decrease in
the vertical wind shear that typically
acts as a detriment to tropical Atlan-
tic development. More importantly,
however, eastern and central tropi-
cal Atlantic sea surface temperatures
are currently at record warm levels for
July, even warmer than the freakishly
active season of 2005. Water tempera-
tures are already at levels more typical
of late August.”
“While all of the primary drivers are
strongly enabling for tropical activi-
ty, we have had a slow start relative to
other very active seasons,” Dr. Craw-
ford added. “Further, a pocket of very
dry air in the tropical Atlantic will
likely limit development in the near-
term. Because of these factors, we have
decreased our forecast total number of
named storms from 20 to 19. We still
expect an extremely active August-Oc-
tober period.”
Crawford also indicated that the
Northeast U.S. had an enhanced
risk of hurricane landfall this season.
“Our statistical landfall forecast mod-
el, which takes into account north-
ern hemispheric ocean temperatures
and current atmospheric patterns, is
suggesting that the coastline from the
Outer Banks to Maine is under a sig-
nificantly increased threat of a hurri-
cane this season, relative to the normal
rates, which are, admittedly, quite
small. Our model suggests that the
threat to the Northeast coast this sea-
son is on par with that in Florida and
the Gulf coastal states.”
“Before your next big summer party,
we recommend meeting with an agent
who is an expert in assessing your risks
and insuring that you, your family and
your home are adequately prepared,”
says Robert Rusbuldt, president of
Trusted Choice.
Summer Parties: Alcohol, Social Host Liability, Etc. The association offers the following tips to help make insureds’ summer a happy and safe one.
“Asking guests to stop drinking at
your summer party can be very awk-
ward,” says Flannagan. “However pro-
tecting your family and your guests is
more important than an uncomfort-
able exchange at the neighborhood
pool party. If you host a party and
your over-served guest drives away
and gets in an accident, you can be
held responsible.”
• Avoid alcohol consumption when
swimming. Always consume alco-
hol responsibly when swimming or
entertaining at the pool.
• Party-givers should familiarize themselves with their state’s host liability laws and to make sure they’re properly insured.
• Limit the guest list to those they know.
• Consider hosting the party at a res-
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