T Minus... and Counting: Allstate Preparing for Hurricane Matthew

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Oct. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A conference room at Allstate's Northbrook headquarters looked more like a command center Tuesday, as more than 50 catastrophe team leaders met to map the strategy and response in preparation for the potential impact of Hurricane Matthew.

Currently, Allstate is deploying pre-storm teams of adjusters, catastrophe personnel and as many as four mobile claim centers. The teams are staging in locations along the East Coast, including Tallahassee, Fla. and Greenville, SC. Those staging cities could change as the path of Matthew changes.

"The key is to select staging locations that are safe for our catastrophe team members to ride out a storm, positioning us to respond quickly to our customers and areas with damage," said Mark McGillivray, senior vice president, Allstate Claims.

As the National Catastrophe Team prepares, Allstate is encouraging everyone to plan well before a storm threatens their community. As time permits and if it's safe to do so, consider one or more of the following:

• Take an inventory of your property and possessions. It's as easy as using your smart phone and an inventory app like Digital Locker.
• Develop an evacuation plan that includes identification of safe areas, escape routes, meeting locations and a place for pets.
• Prepare an emergency kit, including a three-day supply of water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, radio, batteries and a first-aid kit.
• Remove any diseased and damaged limbs from trees to keep them from blowing around during a storm and causing property or automobile damage.
• Purchase materials such as plywood that can be used to reinforce windows, doors and garage doors.

Policyholders may have multiple insurance policies (car, boat, home, wind or flood) with a variety of insurance carriers, so it is also important to gather all insurance information just in case they have to report a claim.

For more information on preparing for catastrophes like Hurricane Matthew, please visit our website at www.allstate.com/catastrophe.

The Allstate Corporation ALL is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial brand names. Now celebrating its 85th anniversary as an insurer, Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate^®." Allstate agencies are in virtually every local community in America. In 2015, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $36 million to support local communities.

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SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company