NAIC President and Alabama Insurance Commissioner Walter Bell hosted an NAIC President’s Symposium, Natural Disasters in the U. S. – Preparing, Responding, Recovering. The symposium was held January 18-19 in Miami. The Symposium was directed toward regulators from state and international insurance departments, as well as government and insurance industry representatives. It focused on catastrophe and disaster planning in the United States.

The program included a keynote address by Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Expert panelists spoke on policy considerations for disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes, how to respond to catastrophes, global warming concerns, and reinsurance issues. Other topics included disaster relief, disaster recovery and rebuilding, and the National Natural Catastrophe Plan. PIA National staff David Eppstein and Kellie Bray attended this symposium.

A full report on natural catastrophe issues discussed at this NAIC meeting will appear in an upcoming issue of PIA Connection.

January 26, 2007