Hurricane Chasing-The Good-The Bad & The Ugly

Watch Jim Thompson Vs Florida Hurricanes shot in Orlando, Florida after Hurricane Charlie and During Hurricane Francis.

JIM THOMPSON VS. FLORIDA HURRICANES

What will this hurricane season bring?

Hurricanes?

Named Storms that we will talk about for a generation?

Better yet, a great season for the storm chasing restoration contractors, CAT (catastrophe) adjusters, roofers and the fund raisers for the Red Cross who appear on TV before the first roof is lifted off a home?

The Gulf of Mexico waters are already warm enough for the first named storm of the season, that came ashore tonight in my home state of Florida.

Riches galore await any restoration firm that listens to the news, loads their trucks, pack up their crews and head off to the CAT 4, “worst hurricane” to make landfall in a score of years.

What could possibly go wrong? There will be more work, the first month, than we can handle at home in two years. 200 LGRs, 600 air movers on one large loss! YES! Send me in coach! Rent 3 or 4 desiccants from Sunbelt Rental or RPI, with power! Send me in coach!

What could possibly go wrong?

Most restoration contractors are very good honest guys, who are tying to pay their bills, expand their companies and provide a great company in which to work. There are crooked guys in restoration companies that need to be in jail. Most adjusters are good guys too.There are bad adjusters and insurance company executives that would laugh if the restoration company sued them, they just got 20 years to jerk it around in court. One senior VP of home office claims told me "what difference does it make if it saved (his company) one dollar" in response to my pointing out that their 'experts' were crooked and were as phony as could be.

Riches, can be made in chasing hurricanes for restoration contractors, and restoration contractors can lose their businesses, homes and marriages, if things go wrong.

Have you ever noticed that it is always the “worst hurricane in decades” according the news, 4 days out?

If the weather reporter is standing on the beach, with a ball cap on as the storm comes ashore, don’t leave home-quite yet.

I’ve been involved with restoration companies chasing hurricanes for over 30 years, and I have made many millions in the quest. I have also seen far too many go out of business, while risking it all to chase the news story.

My advise is simple. Set everything up well ahead of time and get called in by clients who will pay you to mobilize, after the storm has come ashore and done its damage.

Work for large companies who will pay you directly.

Too many restoration companies follow the riches promised by the news crews, and end up selling equipment to make it home or renting their air movers at $3.50 a day each for gas money.

Others, try and make many millions on very small losses, something I have witnessed first hand this past year working for Texas Insurance companies, as a restoration consultant. The actual work and value performed was minimal at best and some of the billings were $25 a sq ft to dry out condos.

Marketing, Mobilization, Pricing, Collecting on hurricane jobs are each a full subjuct into themselves.

Know, Before You Go!

Hotel rooms, gas and food are not plentiful after most hurricanes. Houston last year was different. Three days after landfall; gas, food and hotels were available in the area. 

Have clients lined up before you go. Otherwise your marketing people will be standing in line to give a cheap bid behind other restoration firms trying to make their richers too.

Have plenty of bottled water and food, MREs etc. If the storm knocks out the area power, your crews might be living on what they brought with them. Sleeping bags and tents have worked too.

Have tons of cash with you, and set aside at home for paychecks, supplies, gas, diesel for gen-sets etc. Cash works when credit card machines don’t.

Teach your crews safety & OSHA ahead of time. There is no time to train them after landfall. A 10 Hour Construction or General Industry OSHA Outreach Training is minimum. The OSHA Disaster Site Workers Program is better. Imagine, a Disaster Site Workers Card from OSHA for each of your crew members. Great course.

Make sure you buy actual MAPS! GPS and CELL PHONES DO NOT WORK WELL AFTER A DISASTER! Teach your crew members how to read a map and use a compass, Remember, that GPS does not know-The BRIDGE IS OUT or I-10 is SHUT DOWN! Printed maps still exist. Have them with each crew.

Get the contracts signed up front and make sure that the client actually has flood/windstorm insurance etc. People will say anything to have you help them when their place of business or home is destroyed.

Play fair. Do not try and charge all of your mobilization expenses on one job, just because you can’t get any more work. Remember that the CAT adjuster you are dealing with actually might understand restoration practices and billings better than you do. It might be his 23rd hurricane/CAT in 20 years. It might be your first and last.

Realize that you might not get paid! Conduct honest moisture readings, get HOBO Data Log Recorders (On-set from AMAZON) or other ones that take temperature, dew point, RH and Specific Humidity. Set them for every 10 minutes. There is no excuse to turn in an invoice for hundreds of thousands of dollars or millions of dollars of drying, then to tell the insurance company-you didn't have time or resources to take moisture readings. (I've seen it), Take too many pictures, before-during and after, once again. I've seen big players claim dumb on multi-million dollar invoices and not have pictures of their equipment or before and after shots.

Hurricane riches are to be earned. Play fair and get everything in writing, up front. And that includes from any restoration partners you might bring on to assist your company,

Happy Hurricane Hunting.

Jim Thompson

For more information join us at the

Hurricane & Large Commercial Loss Marketing And Mobilization Dallas Workshop

June 26 & 27, DoubleTree Hilton Dallas Texas, by Dallas Galleria

Seats $1,495. Limited Seating- 5 Seats.

Call 727-424-2000