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Property and Casualty Insurance Information from the
Georgia Insurance Information Service |
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Hurricane Earl Churns Up The East Coast; Tropical Storms Fiona and Gaston Follow with New Tropical Low Off Africa
 Follow the track of Hurricane Earl and Tropical Storms Fiona and Gaston as they churn the Atlantic. All eyes are on the track of Earl since it is predicted to approaches the North Carolina barrier islands. Also, a new tropical low has formed off the African coast.
The graphic from the National Hurricane Center, left, shows the development of a hurricane starting with the tropical low off the African east coast, followed by a tropical depression, followed by a tropical storm and finally a hurricane. This graphic of these perfectly lined up storms was taken Sept. 2, 2010.
Labor Day Holiday Weekend Traffic Warning
The 78-hour Labor Day holiday travel period begins Friday, September 3 at 6 p.m. and ends at midnight Labor Day. Georgia State Patrol will no longer issue traffic predictions for the holiday periods. Also, the Georgia State Patrol will count only traffic fatalities from all agencies in the state during the holiday period with the DPS website updated twice daily throughout the holiday period.
State Investigators: Calhoun House Explosion Was Arson
Pix courtesy of WSB-TV, Atlanta
 Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John W. Oxendine said a house explosion in Calhoun, Ga., last April was the result of arson.
“Natural gas did cause the explosion, but this was an act of arson,” Oxendine said. “Evidence shows that someone went into the home and tampered with a gas line.”
On April 15 around 4 p.m. a three-story house exploded on Saddle Mountain Drive, leaving nearly 60 homes in the surrounding area with severe to minor damage. Eight families in the Saddle Brook subdivision were left homeless. Insured losses were estimated to be in excess of $6 million.
Oxendine is asking anyone with information about this fire to call the Arson Hotline at 1-800-282-5804. Rewards of up to $10,000 are given for information leading to the arrest and conviction of an arsonist. Calls are taken 24 hours a day; callers can choose to remain anonymous. The Commissioner’s Office and the Georgia Arson Control Board, Inc., sponsor the Georgia Arson Control Reward Program and the hotline.
Southeast Drought Report
 With a lack on consistent rain across the Southeast this year, and unusually hot temperatures, the drought is back.
The map provides an overview of the severity of the drought across the Southeast as of August 31st. For a detailed drought map of the U.S., Click here.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is updated every Thursday morning and is developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Don't Drop Auto Insurance; Alternatives Available
With the rise unemployment, those seeking work may face difficult decisions about what to cut from the family budget. GIIS Executive Director David Colmans reminds all motorists that Georgia law requires that drivers maintain at least minimum limits of liability auto insurance to operate a vehicle on the state's roadways.
"Unless your vehicle will be parked and not used, talk with your insurance agent or company about how you can trim down your auto policy by eliminating extras and, if nessary, reduce your policy to the state's minimum limits requirement," Colmans said. In Georgia, minimum liability limits are $25,000 for injury to another individual, $50,000 for all injuries in the incident, and $25,000 liability for damage to the other vehicle if the driver with minimum limits is at fault.
To protect yourself and your family financially, as well as to avoid the risk of law enforcement impounding the vehicle, loss of driver's license and fines, driving without insurance is not recommended.
Inside Insurance: The traffic announcers call it vehicle flambé.
View the latest column by GIIS Executive Director David Colmans. Click here.
Hail Roof Damage Scammers On The Move
Find out more about the activities of the hail roof damage scammers as they increase their activities not only in Georgia but now in Alabama and South Carolina. To find out more, Click here.
A Firm Foundation: How Insurance Supports The Georgia Economy
The insurance industry in Georgia has a significant impact on the state’s economy that extends well beyond its responsibilities to collect premiums and settle claims. It employs licensed professionals, pays taxes, owns municipal bonds and serves people in their times of greatest need.
Created by the Insurance Information Institute for the Georgia Insurance Information Service, this must-read document provides a comprehensive look at what the insurance industry provides to Georgia.
To view and/or download the document, Click here.
Only 12 States Have No Laws Against Texting While Driving
Not long ago, Mississippi, Alabama Georgia, South Carolina and Florida all had no laws against texting while driving, but the map has changed dramatically.
As legislatures met to consider this dangerous issue, change has happened. Mississippi and Alabama have enacted partial bans and the new Georgia has changed the map, too. Only South Carolina and Florida remain as the two Southeastern states without anti-texting while driving laws.
Keep track of this important issue through the color-coded map below.
 From the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. |
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