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Insurance Department launches weather catastrophe response team

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Insurance Department launches weather catastrophe response team

Sep 03, 2024 | 4:03 pm ET
By Claire Sullivan
Insurance Department launches weather catastrophe response team
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A plow truck clears a road during a winter storm in Laconia. (Getty Images)

In the wake of recent floods and other damaging weather events, the Insurance Department announced Tuesday it was launching a weather catastrophe response team.

After the immediate hazards of a storm have cleared, the team will host community outreach events to help residents dealing with property damage understand what is and isn’t covered under their insurance, the announcement said.

“The formation of the Weather Catastrophe Response Team is another way that we can further our commitment to helping residents navigate the complexities of insurance during challenging times,” said D.J. Bettencourt, commissioner of the department, in a news release.

Recent months have brought a host of weather-related threats and damages to the state. In June, all of New Hampshire was under a tornado warning, and in July, a tornado knocked down hundreds of trees in and around Lyme, WMUR reported.

President Biden declared a major disaster for July floods in northern New Hampshire that trapped some residents in their homes and damaged infrastructure, including roads. He also declared a major disaster for an April nor’easter that left thousands without power.

The region as a whole has suffered from more frequent weather threats. Extreme precipitation events have increased by about 60 percent in the Northeast since the 1950s, the largest increase anywhere in the U.S., according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment

The response team will focus on “direct support,” helping consumers “understand their insurance coverage and assisting with the filing of insurance claims,” the announcement said. The department will also help advocate for consumers and “facilitate communication with insurance carriers” if issues arise, it said.

Bettencourt will be on the team, as well as Deputy Commissioner Keith Nyhan, who the announcement said has expertise “in consumer protection and insurance regulations,” and James Fox, the department’s property and casualty director.

The department encouraged residents impacted by weather events to reach out for support at (603) 271‐2261 or online.