hurricane Ike Texas Claims
Add Up to $12 Billion

AUSTIN—Hurricane Ike’s devastating storm surge and 110 mile per hour winds made it by far the costliest weather catastrophe in Texas history. Total windstorm claims in Texas according to ISO totaled $9.8 billion. The National Flood Insurance Program said Texans filed nearly 44,000 flood claims from Hurricane Ike costing $2.175 billion, placing the storm’s total insured losses just under the $12 billion mark.

Galveston Redux
“Hurricane Ike took the same path as Galveston’s 1900
storm that claimed more than 6,000 lives,” said Mark Han-
na, a spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas (www.
insurancecouncil.org). “Thankfully, coastal residents had
been adequately warned for Hurricane Ike, but few were
prepared for Ike’s destructive storm surge. Many residents
who lost everything did not have flood insurance.”

This Time Around

Hurricane Ike struck Galveston on Sept. 13, 2008. The hurricane’s 16-foot storm surge destroyed homes and businesses on Bolivar Peninsula as well as communities surrounding Galveston Bay and all along the shoreline and inland from Orange down to Freeport. More than half of Galveston Island was submerged from the rising water. Fortunately, most of the area’s coastal residents heeded evacuation orders after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a warning continued on page 13

Distracted Driving: It’s Not Just
About Cell Phones and Texting

In This Issue

TDI-DWC Announces Recent enforcement Actions

Premium Taxes Due March 1

Looking Around Causes Most Distractions

Special Focus:

Special Events

Foremost Insurance Group notes that if you’ve ever driven down the road grumbling about the distracted drivers on their cell phones — while admiring the scenery — you’ve been guilty of being the same kind of distracted driver you’re complaining about.

TDI, OShA Recognize Temple Firm with exemplary Safety Program 11

SELLING STRATEGIES:

Campaign Catastrophe

According to a University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center study of the top 10 driver distractions, looking at things outside the car is the number one distraction for most drivers.

Disaster Relief Special Fund Created to help efforts in haiti

continued on page 14

What the Wizard of Oz Can Teach Small Insurance Businesses About Customer Service by Kevin Baker 15

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