Information provided by: Read more at http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2013/08/07/dont-get-swept-away-cars-and-flood-insurance/#K01tpMfW6B8iMqqH.99
July is known for being a peak summer month filled with sunny days, but this year it also turned out to be a notorious month for flash floods across the country.
- On July 3, a flash flood in Lebanon, N.H., forced evacuations and caused an estimated $6.5 million in damage, according to The Associated Press.
- On July 10 in South Pittsburg, Tenn., floodwaters from relentless rain spawned a newborn river that swept through neighborhoods, shops and City Hall, according to a Times Free Press report. The rapids, which came without warning, “hit with the force of an earthquake, tossing cars, killing wildlife and lifting sheets of asphalt the size of trucks,” the report said.
- By July 26, western North Carolina had suffered through four flash floods in the past four months, the last one being the most severe in decades, according to the Charlotte Observer.
- On July 29 in Arizona, things were no better for the 33 passengers on a tour bus outside of Flagstaff as flash flood waters swept the bus hundreds of yards until it flipped on its side on an embankment, according to the AP. Fortunately, passengers escaped with no injuries.
Drivers are advised to avoid driving during a flood if at all possible for a very good reason: According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, nearly half of all deaths during a flood are vehicle-related.
When asked for tips for driving in a flood, Carroll Lachnit, features editor for automotive research site Edmunds.com, says, “Don’t do it.”
Driving tips for flash floods
While the best advice is to stay off the roads, sometimes drivers get caught in an unexpected flood.
“The classic ‘turn around, don’t drown’ statement that gets repeated during every major storm is excellent advice,” says Lachnit. “Never drive through flooded areas. If it’s raining heavily and you’re driving in a familiar location where you know there are vulnerable areas, then you need to avoid them.”
Lachnit says you should never drive beneath an underpass during a heavy rainstorm because they are prone to flooding.
Another tip for driving when flooding begins is to be wary of water levels. “According to FEMA it takes only 1 foot of water to float almost any car,” she says. “Even an SUV can be swept off a bridge (or down a road) in a foot of water. Six inches of water reaches the bottom of most cars, which means you could lose control of your car or wash out into the flood.”
If you’re on the road and see signs of high water or stranded vehicles, Lachnit says, you should pull over or take a different route. If you see water rising above the bottom of the tires of the car in front of you, that’s an indication to turn around. You can sometimes guess how deep the water is compared with the curb, but you may not know about flood damage to the roadbed underneath.
If your car gets caught in a flash flood and stalls or you lose control, FEMA recommends that you get out if you can before it gets carried downstream.
If it’s too late to climb out and your car is beginning to be submerged, Lachnit says, it’s important not to panic.”Once your car is submerged you should be able to open your doors, so you’re supposed to hold your breath and climb out,” she says. “If you’re caught in a stream of rushing water, point your feet up and downstream so you flow with the water to avoid getting hurt on rocks under the surface.”
In addition to the danger of floodwaters, heavy rainstorms create major visibility problems.
When driving in heavy rain, slow down, put extra space between your car and the car in front of you, and don’t slam on your brakes or make any sudden turns, says Lachnit.
“If you have anti-lock brakes like most cars, don’t pump the brakes,” she says.
All of these tips are meant to prevent an accident or a water-damaged car, but sometimes an event that results in an insurance claim is inevitable. It’s important to have the right car insurance so that you don’t end up financially swept away.
“If you don’t have comprehensive and collision coverage on your car insurance policy, you need to get it before hurricane or flood warnings are given for your area,” says Penny Gusner, a consumer analyst for CarInsurance.com. “Insurance companies can’t add new coverage or write a new insurance policy when a storm warning has been issued.”
Here’s the insurance coverage you could need if you’re caught in a flood:
Comprehensive. “Comprehensive insurance covers any type of damage to your car up to its actual cash value that’s caused by natural events instead of an accident,” says Gusner. “So if your car is damaged by rising water or a flood, you could make a claim with your comprehensive coverage.”
Collision. If you hydroplane during a storm and flip your car or hit something like another car or a tree, collision insurance will pay to repair it or will pay the actual cash value of the car. Gusner says you’ll have to pay your deductible regardless of whether the accident was your fault, someone else’s or caused by the storm.
Rental car reimbursement. “Rental reimbursement coverage is optional and pays you a certain amount of money per day or per week for a rental car to drive while your car is being repaired,” says Gusner. “If you have another car or another way of getting around without your car, then you don’t need it.”
Gap. “If you owe more money on your car than it’s worth, gap insurance will pay the difference,” says Gusner. “For instance, if you owe $15,000 on your car loan but your car is only worth $12,000, gap insurance will reimburse your lender for the extra $3,000.” You can get gap insurance from your regular car insurance provider or from your car financing company, but it’s usually more expensive from your lender.
“Your insurance company expects you to take care of your car, so make sure you don’t cause more damage by driving it after a flood with the check engine light on,” says Gusner.
Scurich Insurance Services has proudly served the Monterey Bay area since 1924. Scurich will take care of all of your insurance needs. Are you a business owner, did you get a new car or maybe you are looking to protect your family in the event of a tragedy? Give us a call, we can help!
We are located at:
Scurich Insurance Services
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
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Scurich Insurance Services has proudly served the Monterey Bay area since 1924. Scurich will take care of all of your insurance needs. Are you a business owner, did you get a new car or maybe you are looking to protect your family in the event of a tragedy? Give us a call, we can help!
We are located at:
Scurich Insurance Services
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
Read more
Information Provided by: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-insure-small-business-20130802,0,2637620.story?track=lat-email-topofthetimes
California’s small businesses next year will have a range of competitively priced options offered by a new state government health insurance exchange.
The agency, Covered California, unveiled its portfolio of policy options for smaller businesses Thursday. They include both health maintenance organizations and preferred provider networks and will be available in all parts of the state as of Jan. 1.
Rates in most of the state’s populous counties are expected to be significantly below premiums now charged by insurers for similar plans. Average premiums for a 40-year-old employee are slated to fall 17% in southern Los Angeles County and 13% in the northern part. Rates for younger and older workers are expected to drop proportionally, Covered California said.
An important element of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, these small-business exchange policies will take effect Jan. 1. Insurance companies will continue to offer small-business policies apart from the exchange.
Giving small-business owners new options to help their employees is crucial in California, healthcare advocates argue. According to the California Healthcare Foundation, the state has more than 7 million people under the age of 65 who don’t have health insurance. Statewide, 25% of workers are not insured. That rises to 40% at companies with fewer than 10 people.
“This adds competition to the marketplace,” said Scott Hauge, a San Francisco insurance broker and president of Small Business California, which advocates for half a million employers around the state. “The exchange clearly will be a major competitor.”
Businesses with fewer than 50 employees can take advantage of the buying power of the exchange’s new Small Business Health Options Program. However, they are not required to do so under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Small businesses with fewer than 25 full-time workers that purchase the state-backed coverage could further lower their costs by qualifying for a federal tax credit of as much as 50% of total employer-paid premiums.
Individuals not covered by employer or government programs will be subject to financial penalties if they don’t get insurance.
Participating insurance companies include Blue Shield of California, Chinese Community Health Plan, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Sharp Health Plan and Western Health Advantage. Each provider will offer four tiers of benefits dubbed Platinum for the most comprehensive, followed by Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Employers will pick the level of coverage they want. Employees would still be free to choose among all the locally available products within that category, even if they are from different insurance companies. Prices and benefits can vary from insurer to insurer, even if they are in the same category.
Not participating in the small-business exchange is Anthem Blue Cross, the largest for-profit health insurer in the state.
California has aggressively prepared to put into place Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act — informally known as Obamacare — since he signed it into law in 2010. Earlier this year, the administration of Gov. Jerry Brown made public its programs for covering individuals.
The latest offering should be a boost for small businesses because it will put them “on par with larger employers in terms of benefits,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California.
“Employer-sponsored health coverage,” he said, “has historically played an important role in insuring Californians. Our launch of a full-choice, small-group market is a testament to the state’s commitment to build on the critical role of employer-based coverage.”
Although Covered California gives small employers a range of options to attract and keep employees, it might not be the best deal for all companies, especially those that operate on slim profit margins, said John Arensmeyer, founder and chief executive of Small Business Majority, a national lobbying group based in San Francisco Bay Area.
“They may sit down and do calculations and there may be situations where it’s better for the employees to go to the individual exchange and get subsidies,” Arensmeyer said. But, what’s important, he stressed, is that either way the workers will have health insurance that they couldn’t previously get.
Call Scurich Insurance Services today and for your rates!
Scurich Insurance Services has proudly served the Monterey Bay area since 1924. Scurich will take care of all of your insurance needs. Are you a business owner, did you get a new car or maybe you are looking to protect your family in the event of a tragedy? Give us a call, we can help!
We are located at:
Scurich Insurance Services
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
Read more
Agribusiness Insurance protects not only your farm in Phillipsburg, KS, but it also provides peace of mind for your shareholders and other individuals or entities that may hold interest in your company. Insurance for your agriculture business protects not just you, but also anyone else who might have an interest in your farming business.
Having a crucial piece of machinery break down or the sudden onset of inclement weather can affect your business. If you have commercial insurance coverage with Scurich Insurance in Watsonville, you can reduce the chances of disaster having a negative impact on your cash flow.
Some types of coverage that can help your agribusiness include the following:
• Should an interruption occur in your cash flow, Income Loss coverage could help you recover some of your revenue.
• Some farm owners give tours of their farm or give hay rides to supplement their income. Agritainment liability will protect you in the event of an injured guest. Custom equipment and tractors can be covered with an Equipment Floater.
• If one of your workers should get injured on the job, Workers’ compensation will give much needed protection.
• Should a critical piece of machinery break down, Mechanical Breakdown coverage will add to your protection.
Call Scurich Insurance Services at 1-800-320-3666 today and find out how you can protect your agribusiness.
Scurich Insurance Services has proudly served the Monterey Bay area since 1924. Scurich will take care of all of your insurance needs. Are you a business owner, did you get a new car or maybe you are looking to protect your family in the event of a tragedy? Give us a call, we can help!
We are located at:
Scurich Insurance Services
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
Read more
Confined spaces (such as storage tanks, ship compartments, pits, silos, wells, sewers, boilers, tunnels and pipelines) can be dangerous places. According to OSHA, accidents in confined areas kill an average of 70 American workers a year and injure hundreds, primarily due to atmospheres that were flammable, toxic, or corrosive.
To make sure that your employees know what they should do – and, just as important, not do – in case they need to deal with confined space emergency – safety experts recommend that they follow these guidelines.
What workers should do:
First, report the situation immediately to your supervisor, who will notify an emergency rescue team. If the people inside can rescue themselves safely, keep in contact with them throughout the procedure, and help them in any way possible without entering the space. If a rescue by an outside party is needed – and you’re trained, equipped, and authorized to do this – go ahead. If the emergency calls for a rescue team, let those inside the space know that help is on the way, keep in touch with them, and wait for the team to arrive.
What workers should not do:
Never let other workers attempt a rescue unless they have the training, equipment, and authorization to do so. Don’t allow anyone except the designated rescue team to enter a confined space in an emergency. Don’t leave the entry point to the confined space until the rescue team arrives.
We’d be happy to work with you on training your workers to deal with a confined space emergency – just give us a call at Scurich Insurance Services!
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From http://watsonville.patch.com/
A racecar driver at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, CA, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence during the Friday night races, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The 64-year-old San Jose man was participating in the event when a sheriff’s deputy noticed that he may have been driving drunk, according to the CHP.
A CHP officer arrested the driver, Leslie Charles Hunter, in the pit area of the raceway around 8:20 p.m., authorities said.
The CHP did not explain what about Hunter’s behavior drew suspicion. They also did not release information about his blood-alcohol level.
The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported Hunter allegedly forced other drivers off the track.
Ocean Speedway is located at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds on East Lake Avenue, a couple miles north of Watsonville. It hosts a regular slate of races on Friday nights in the summer and fall.
Hunter was ranked No. 9 in the IMCA Sports Mod standings at Ocean Speedway as of July 19.
Are you a Racecar fan? Do you keep your car in tip-top shape?
Are you certain that your “baby” is protected sufficiently when it comes to those unforeseeable events?
For all your Car Insurance needs, or if you are just looking for a review of your current policy, call Scurich Insurance Services, located in Watsonville, CA.
| Scurich Insurance |
| 320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170 |
| Watsonville, CA 95077-1170 |
| Office: 1-831-722-3541 |
| Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666 |
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