Downey Insurance Group Blog | Great Insurance People

Flooding is becoming an annual nuisance in New Hampshire.  The threat of damage to many homes and businesses is very real.  As you may know your standard Homeowners policy and Business policy will not cover damage caused by flood.

If you fall within certain flood lines your mortgage company will most likely require you to carry flood insurance.  Even if you are not required to carry flood insurance it is still a very good idea. The thought of your home or business being destroyed by flood is unimaginable to most.  At Downey Insurance we have the resources to assess and protect your flood risk, as well as your home.

WMUR in New Hampshire said today:

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. – Heavy rain in the southern part of the state led to flooding issues Monday, while more than a foot of snow fell in northern areas.

Residents on Beauregard Street along the Sugar River in Claremont were evacuated when the river overflowed and left the road under more than 4 feet of water. Homes in the area are above that level and weren’t flooded, but officials said there was no way to get in and out of the homes because of the road flooding.

In Newport, a couple was rescued by boat from their home on a private road. Emergency workers said they crossed about 500 feet of water that was about 4 feet deep to get to the home.

In Hooksett, a Kmart on Londonderry Turnpike was closed because of flooding. Police said water was going into the store.

The rain sent chunks of ice floating down some rivers, forming ice dams that sent water spilling onto roads. Old Sharon Road in Peterborough was flooded for about a mile when ice wedged under a bridge.

The Department of Transportation sent in an excavator to break up the ice in what safety officials called a delicately timed operation.  “Just a little bit at a time so we don’t have a big rush of water going into the downtown area,” said Fire Chief Joe Lenox.

The heavy rains Sunday and overnight created torrents of rushing water on the Contoocock River. Complicating things for public works crews, there was more than one ice dam to deal with in Peterborough alone.

John Kaufhold owns a business by the river and said he has been through this before.

“(In 2007), we had about 2 feet of water where we’re standing,” he said.

Kaufhold said ice jams Monday could spell trouble again.

“By the dam in north Peterborough, we could get an ice jam and really clog things up,” he said. “The water level will rise fast behind the dam.”

In Wilton, officials monitored an ice jam on Stoney Brook. They said water started to rise Monday morning near the downtown area, but the jam broke up, and water began to flow freely again.

North of the White Mountains, a foot or more of snow fell since Sunday afternoon. Residents said they were running out of places to put the snow after all the storms this winter.

Power outages were also reported across the state, especially in western areas and the Upper Valley.

Public Service of New Hampshire reported about 3,400. New Hampshire Electric Coop reported about 3,200, while Unitil reported no outages.

Several ski areas were also closed because of the weather. Officials at Cannon Mountain said it’s closed because of some electrical issues caused by the storm. Cranmore and Dartmouth Skiway were closed because of poor conditions.

To read the full article click here.

Popularity: 6% [?]

New Hampshire has passed legislation regarding subcontractors effective 6/14/2010. It is important to note that a Vermont employee/employer working in New Hampshire must carry coverage A in NH and comply with NH laws. Under the Workers compensation law there must be a written agreement signed by the employer and the person providing services on or about the date of employment, which also describes the services to be performed by this subcontractor. Downey Insurance helps employers to understand the Workers compensation Laws. Most employers assume that if they hire subcontractors they do not have to carry Workers compensation Insurance on that subcontractor. This is incorrect, the subcontractor must carry their own Workers Compensation policy or the employer having the work performed must carry or add them to their own policy. Downey Insurance in Keene, NH ,Brattleboro, VT and Marlboro, MA are experienced in Workers compensation and will help you determine your payroll and classification codes for the states you’re working.

Popularity: 30% [?]

Downey Insurance in Keene, NH and Brattleboro, VT, work closely with Co-Operative Insurance Companies to cover all farm insurance, mini-farm insurance and equine insurance in VT and NH areas. Co-operative has been the leader in farm insurance for almost a century. Here are some of the reasons:

Flexible policy’s can protect almost any farming operation, including dairy, horse, poultry, sheep, deer, emu, and trees Farms. This policy can include your outbuildings and personal property. As well as providing incidental coverage for almost anything from loss of milk to earthquake damage. Coverage for loss of income and extra expense to help you operate after a covered property loss with many deductible options, including a zero deductible on animals.

We at Downey Insurance hope to help you soon with your farm Insurance coverage’s and analyzing your farm exposures!

Popularity: 6% [?]

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – April 23, 2010) – The US Travel Insurance Association reports that most of its member companies are providing coverage to travelers affected by trip cancellations and delays arising from the volcanic eruption in Iceland. To qualify for coverage, the travel insurance policy must have been purchased prior to the volcano eruption.

“Travel insurance covers travelers in any number of situations. Under the current circumstances, where ash has grounded thousands of flights, travelers are covered because their flights have been cancelled or delayed due to weather; a destination is made uninhabitable; an airport closed for 24 hours or more, and/or airline service has ceased because of natural disaster,” explains UStiA president Jim Grace.

Travel insurance coverage in such situations generally falls into two main categories:

• trip cancellation and interruption provides reimbursement for nonrefundable travel expenses such as airline tickets, prepaid tours, cruises, etc.
• trip delay reimburses expenses incurred, such as hotel accommodations, meals, etc. up to set limits.

In addition, all companies are providing assistance services for travelers who are stranded abroad. Such services include help in rebooking flight arrangements, finding hotel accommodations, facilitating money transfers, notifying work/family, etc.”

Popularity: 14% [?]