I have worked in many CAT losses, where I created friendships with government agents, adjusters, environmental professionals, and restorers. The consensus is “CAT losses are some of the hardest, dirtiest, unsafe, time consuming, physically exhausting, and mentally challenging jobs you will ever be involved with”. If you plan on working in CAT losses, consider the following.

While crises can take many forms, standardizing a response plan to prepare for such events can help ensure your fleet minimizes downtime while maximizing safety. The thoroughness of your fleet’s response plan and protocols allows your organization to remain informed and ready to act during stressful times.

With CAT season coming soon, we invited Avelina Lamb, owner of PuroClean of Chandler, to discuss her franchise’s approach to growing CAT restoration services. She shares advice based on work in Louisiana following Hurricane Ida, as well as fire and smoke damage projects in Colorado following recent wildfires.

Julie and Tony Roberts’ SERVPRO franchise in Henderson, Ky., is directly involved with CAT restoration work following the devastating tornadoes that touched down in December 2021, including one of the largest projects in the town of Mayfield, Ky.

On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. PuroClean Residential Loss division vice president Bart Meador leads a team that steps in to respond on the ground and mobilize teams following such disasters. He shares PuroClean’s experience responding to Ida, including its impact on the Northeast.

In this personal, heartfelt Ask Annissa episode, Annissa Coy talks about evacuating her home in the face of the Ford Corkscrew Fire. An experienced fire damage restoration and contents cleaning professional, Coy has worked with property owners through many wildfires and more home fires than she can count. This was the first time Coy and her family were personally impacted.