Insurance agencies dispatch teams after Michael

ALBANY — Representatives of only two insurance agencies remained in “The Village” Tuesday morning. But for the better part of a week after Hurricane Michael came calling Oct. 10, the Albany Home Depot parking lot — dubbed The Village by participating insurance reps — looked heavenly to victims of the hurricane.

National insurance agencies dispatched teams of agents to Albany to assist area customers with their claims. Teams from insurance giants Allstate and State Farm were still set up outside of Home Depot Tuesday morning, ready to sit down with customers as they have been since the storm hit.

“We’ve been located out here for about two weeks now, basically just assisting all of our customers that have been affected by Hurricane Michael,” Allstate Team Lead Catastrophe Adjuster Betsy Dardon said.

Dardon said that the teams travel around the country when disaster strikes. Members are from different states. Dardon is from Texas, but she said that some of her team members are from Alabama, Missouri and other states. Whenever they are needed, the teams roll out.

“That’s just how it is,” Dardon said. “The customers come first.”

A State Farm official said timeliness is important in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster.

“Due to the severity of Hurricane Michael, we deployed our Customer Response Unit and additional claim representatives to the area to help respond to our customers’ needs in a timely manner,” Myles Mitchom, community and media relations specialist for State Farm Atlanta and north Georgia, said.

Mitchom said that agents on site provide internet connectivity, charging stations for electronic devices, water, hygiene kits, work gloves, dog bowls and other items for customers.

“We have one focus and that is helping our customers when they need us most.”

Dardon said helping victims return to normalcy is the agency’s aim.

“Obviously, it’s a really hard time, and customers don’t expect this to happen to them,” she said. “We really want to make sure that they feel that we’re here for them, and any questions or concerns like filing claims, getting things moving forward for them, getting stuff back to how they originally were. That’s what we’re here for.”

Mitchom said that following a storm, State Farm’s teams survey the damage and determine the resources needed to respond to customers’ needs. Dardon of Allstate said that they currently have teams in Florida and Georgia.

Individuals needing to speak with an agent about damage to their homes and property can visit the insurance “tents” of the companies they are insured through for more information about claims, contractors and more.

Gypsy CrowFile Photo