PLRB Offers Online Mapping System for Adjusters

Insurance company adjusters now have access to street level weather information to gauge potential storm losses through a new online service from the Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB).

The interactive PLRB Map, available from PLRB Catastrophe Services, supplies data on actual reported incidents, NEXRAD estimates of hail size and wind velocity, severe storm warnings, as well as forecast threats such as hurricane tracks, high risk severe thunderstorms, and extremely critical wildland fire conditions, according to Hugh Strawn, vice president, Catastrophe Services, PLRB.

PLRB Map provides company adjusters the ability to search for occurrence information, such as hail, wind, tornado, wildland fire, lightning probability to the address level. When an adjuster enters the street address of the claim, PLRB Map geocodes the address to its precise location.

The system also prompts the user to enter a date range for the type of data being sought, such as reported hail, wind, tornadoes, NEXRAD data for hail or wind, or National Weather Service lightning probability reports. The data is displayed on the map allowing a comparison with its location and the address in question.

“The advantage of PLRB Map is that it takes the adjuster’s inquiry to the next level,” says Strawn. “Prior to this addition to the Catastrophe Services Historical Database, the user would be able to retrieve text information that provided the reports by type of occurrence, state, county, city, ZIP code, latitude, longitude, and a description of what happened. They still have the option to get that type of on-line report, but now they have the option to do much, much more with the information.”

PLRB Map enables member companies to transfer the data to their GIS mapping program. “Once the information we have available is transferred to their mapping program,” continued Strawn, “the adjuster can overlay a geo-coded book of business on to the occurrence data.”

PLRB Catastrophe Services PLRB Map is available on-line at www.plrb.org as a member benefit to PLRB member company employees.

The Property Loss Research Bureau is an association of property and casualty insurance companies based in Downers Grove, Ill.