The
THE VOICE OF TEXAS INSURANCE RE C O R D
INSURANCE
Published Since 1934 • Dallas, Texas February 11, 2010 • Vol. 76 No. 3
Special Focus: Special Events – Page 5
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
3
Premium Taxes Due March 1
4
Looking Around Causes Most Distractions
Special Focus:
Special Events
5
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
12
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
14
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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Price Increases of health, Legal
Services Impacted P/C Costs
16
ASSe Wants to see Public W/C in
OShA Reform Legislation 20
NeWSPAPeR/$4.00
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