AMEDEO ADJUSTING LIMITED – HURRICANE RESPONSE

Amedeo Adjusting was formed in 2003. In 2004 it was involved in its first hurricane response in terms of damage to the Bahamas as a result of Hurricane Frances and then Hurricane Jeanne.

Hurricane Jeanne was the deadliest hurricane in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane and the fifth major hurricane of the season.

After wreaking havoc on Hispaniola, Jeanne struggled to reorganise; eventually strengthening and performing a complete loop over the Atlantic. It then headed westwards strengthening into a Category 2 hurricane and passed over the Islands of Great Abaco and Grand Bahama. On September 25th 2004, Jeanne made landfall in Florida just two miles from where Frances had struck three weeks earlier. Hurricane Jeanne caused further damage to North Eleuthera, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island.

At that time Amedeo Adjusting were already based on Russell Island in the Bahamas dealing with claims emanating from Hurricane Frances. Hurricane Frances was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Jeanne achieved category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. As the system followed its forward motion the eye passed over San Salvador Island which is very close to Cat Island in the Bahamas. Frances was the first hurricane to impact the entire Bahamian archipelago since 1866 which at that time lead to the near complete destruction of the Bahamian agricultural economy.

In 2004 Amedeo Adjusting was still a fledgling loss adjusting firm however its two Directors had hurricane adjusting experience. In 1989 Nick Croan ACII FCILA had adjusted losses for an American Insurer on St Croix in the US Virgin Islands (Hurricane Hugo).

He had subsequently been deployed in respect of hurricane damage in the Bahamas following Hurricane Floyd (1999). Floyd was a very powerful Cape Verde type hurricane which struck the Bahamas and then the East coast of the United States. Regrettably Floyd struck the Bahamas at its peak strength causing heavy damage. Hurricane Floyd remained just below the Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale for 12 hours whilst crossing the Bahamas making landfalls on Eleuthera and Abaco Islands before an eye wall replacement cycle weakened it to a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120mph.

During a 12 week period Nick was involved in the handling and adjusting of losses throughout the entire island of Eleuthera and then Spanish Wells, Nassau on New Providence and latterly Great Abaco Island.

Following Hurricane Michelle in 2001 Nick was again dispatched to the Bahamas; this time for a six week period and on this occasion as well as visiting islands he had previously attended he reached Andros.

In 2004 following Frances and then Jeanne a senior figure at Amedeo’s Bahamian clients specifically asked Nick to deal with Eleuthera and Spanish Wells.

Arriving on the first ferry to reach Spanish Wells on St George’s Quay, post hurricane, Nick and the Insurance Company Account

Executive were greeted by property owners who they largely knew from previous deployments.

When Amedeo withdrew from a Russell Island base six weeks later they had settled all claims with resident policyholders and the only outstanding claims (6) were with non-resident insured persons.

Amedeo dealt with a number of claims from Hurricane Ike from the 4th to 13th September 2008 on this occasion reaching Inagua which lies to the South of the Bahamas archipelago.

Amedeo’s most recent hurricane response was in respect of Irene in August 2011. On this occasion hurricane damage within the Bahamas was reasonably limited and ultimately Amedeo dealt with North Eleuthera and Spanish Wells within a two week period.

We are now putting in place arrangements for the 2015 season.

On the basis of our previous efforts we have been allocated a substantial section of our Principal’s territory and have already selected and briefed our team of adjusters.