[StBernard] La. Commissioner Releases Adjuster Schedule for Grid 1 in St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes

[Westley Annis]

La. Commissioner Releases Adjuster Schedule for Grid 1 in St. Bernard and
Plaquemines Parishes
October 13, 2005 

Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Robert Wooley announced that beginning
Monday, Oct. 17, insurance companies will start working in a coordinated
effort to adjust claims for St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parish properties
damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

After visiting St. Bernard and Plaquemines, Wooley realized residents were
facing an insurance adjusting nightmare. "Houses are uninhabitable and
neighborhoods are destroyed so these parishes have to be rebuilt," Wooley
said. 

He determined the best way to expedite the rebuilding process was a
systematic approach to the adjusting and demolition of properties in each
parish.

Parish officials, the insurance industry and Commissioner Wooley worked
together to develop a plan for subdividing each parish into grids, or small
sections containing approximately 1,000 households each. Parish officials
then created their respective grid maps using a parish street map. The map
for St. Bernard Parish consists of 25 grids. Plaquemines officials
subdivided their parish into nine grids by using their council districts as
boundaries. They also made a determination of which area was hardest hit and
made Grid 1 their top priority for claims adjusting. 

Wooley said grid maps for both parishes were e-mailed to insurers doing
business in Louisiana so the companies could determine which homes they
insure in each grid. 

"That determination has been made and the companies are ready to send in
teams of adjusters who will work side by side and go street by street in
Grid 1 until all property inspections are complete," Wooley added.

Insurance company adjusters are scheduled to visit Grid 1 properties in both
St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes from Monday, Oct. 17 through Sunday,
Oct. 23. Wooley said companies are making an effort to contact their
policyholders to let them know what day they can expect a visit from an
adjuster. 

"My office will then review how many claims were processed in Grid 1 before
determining how to best proceed with future grid scheduling," Wooley
maintained.

The following are boundaries for Grid 1 in St. Bernard and Plaquemines
Parishes:

--St. Bernard Parish: Grid 1 boundaries are Florida Avenue north, North
Peters Street south, Aycock and Center Street before Alexander and Frisco
Avenue to the east and Angela Avenue and Access Road to the west.

--Plaquemines Parish: The entire east bank, including the Braithwaite Park
subdivision (the Plaquemines Parish/St. Bernard Parish line to the community
of Bohemia). Grid 1 is the Council District 1. 

--Plaquemines Parish officials have further divided Grid 1 into two zones,
Zone 1A and Zone 1B. 

--Zone 1A: encompasses the northern end of the parish to the Belair area.

--Zone 1B: encompasses the Belair area to the east bank southern tip of the
parish.

Grid 1 maps will be posted on the Department of Insurance Web site:
www.ldi.state.la.us, Hurricane's Katrina and Rita section.

Find this article at:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2005/10/13/60800.htm