Fla. Cat Team Volunteers Honored

Veronica Della Porta, chairman of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, recognized catastrophe team volunteers who traveled to hard-hit areas and assisted victims during 2005, when hurricanes hit the southeast U.S. Bay St. Louis, Miss., agents David and Angelyn Treutel described FAIA members as “Katrina Angels” for their efforts to keep their agencies providing service for its customers.

“After Katrina we had a laptop, our agency management backup and a can of spray paint,” Angelyn told the general session during FAIA’s Annual Conference in Orlando. “We painted on our old office location where we had relocated and put a tent on the highway in front of the chamber of commerce to help our customers.

“The heat index was 110 degrees, but the customers still came, called, emailed, any way to get through. They laughed, they cried, a few were hostile, but there were so very, very many. We were dealing with 8,000 claims on our 10,000 policies.”

Angelyn said she was surprised to receive an email from Paul Peeples and Laurie Lane of FAIA to let them know they were sending help. She said they thought this was very strange, “Why would people come all the way from Florida to help us? They told us, this is what we do.”

Scott Corkhill was the first to arrive with a car, a cell phone, and a tent. He took a list of customers, started calling them, and put them into contact with their adjusters, while the Treutels filed claims. From then on out, there was a steady flow of FAIA volunteers who gave the Treutels support to keep their agencies in business.

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