The preliminary report, or “prelim”, is the adjuster’s first report based on the initial inspection of the insured’s property after a flood. The preliminary report provides a high-level overview of the loss.
All of the data recorded on the preliminary report is important. Reserves are set, providing the estimated payout of the claim. The description of risk is included in addition to the origin of the loss, which reflects whether or not there is a General Condition of Flooding (GCF). The approximate reserve amounts on the preliminary report are sent to FEMA for financial purposes.
Pay special attention to the diagram and the report together - customers will ask specifically about this and you need to cross-reference!
The preliminary report also addresses flood characteristics, such as:
- Water depths
- The length of time the water remained in the building
- The type of water event
The preliminary report is due from the adjuster within 15 days of the assignment, and the examiner should process the report within 48 hours of it being received.
Refer to this table:
| Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| A | B | C |
Checklist for Compliance:
- First
- Second
- Third
- Fourth
- Fifth
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, is FEMA's latest initiative to ensure that communities are taking a holistic approach to mitigating risks in their communities:
Per FEMA, BRIC:
"will support states, local communities, tribes and territories, as they undertake hazard mitigation projects reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. BRIC is a new FEMA pre-disaster hazard mitigation program that replaces the existing Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program and is a result of amendments made to Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) by Section 1234 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (DRRA).
The BRIC program guiding principles are supporting communities through capability- and capacity-building; encouraging and enabling innovation; promoting partnerships; enabling large projects; maintaining flexibility; and providing consistency."
What this means for YOU:
- When speaking with clients or creating business development materials, we must mirror to holistic approach language.
- We must update our language to include mit
- We must leverage funding opportunities and consider alternate funding sources that help reach this goal. See H2O's Global Match program experience on how we have done this in the past for a place to start.
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