A year after the devastating tsunami in Japan, debris has begun to appear on North American shores, particularly in Canada, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.

Among the first lost possessions to wash up was a container that held a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that appeared on the shore of Graham Island in Canada. Though the bike was rusted and caked with corrosion, it still had its license plate and was able to be connected to its owner, who lost three family members in the March 11, 2011 tsunami.

“This is unmistakably mine. It’s miraculous,” Yokoyama told Japan’s Nippon TV when shown photos of the Harley.

An Alaska man found a football and volleyball in March, and their owners were able to be located using names inscribed on the balls.

Though nothing can make up for what Japanese residents lost in the tsunami, hopefully some small solace can be found in getting back personal items that have miraculously made their way to North American shores.

Have your own story about dealing with disaster? Tell us about it in the comments or connect with us on Twitter or Facebook.

Flood insurance is something Bankers takes very seriously. It’s often an overlooked or low priority policy, and the results of not having flood protection can be devastating.

Richard “Richie” Clements, an insurance agent from Louisiana as well as the PIA National representative to the Flood Insurance Producers National Committee, is passionate about informing his customers and neighbors about the dangers of flooding. A native of Louisiana, Richie and his wife Charmaine have both been witnesses of the destructive floods that come with heavy rains and hurricanes, from Betsy in 1965 to Katrina in 2005.

“The trouble is, memories can fade. People can forget,” Richie explains. “Almost seven years after Katrina, I’m starting to see resistance to purchasing flood insurance again. In fact, I hear many of the same excuses. ‘I can’t afford it.’ ‘I’ll get it later.’ ‘Since it’s not required, I’m going to do without it.’ It’s great that the United States has escaped getting hit by a major hurricane for a long time, but the downside of dodging bullets is it can lead to complacency. If having flood insurance is an imperative in the first year after a big storm, it should be just as important seven years later, if not more so.”

As Richie explains, complacency can be a very dangerous thing. The “it can’t happen to me” way of thinking is common. “Take it from me, it can, it does and it did,” Richie says. “People in ‘low-risk’ areas of the country have discovered they can lose their homes to flood, too. ‘Low-risk’ does not mean ‘no risk.’ Residents in Vermont and upstate New York who lived hundreds of miles from where Hurricane Irene made landfall still lost everything due to flooding. Similarly, people in places like Atlanta and Nashville were devastated by days of rain in 2009.”

Don’t let floodwaters catch you off guard. Get in touch today and let Bankers protect you from flooding and other risks.

Have your own story about dealing with destructive floods? Tell us about it in the comments or connect with us on Twitter or Facebook.

Since it’s National Flood Safety Awareness Week, it’s a great time to learn about the risk flooding poses to your home as well as your wallet. We know that many floods occur in low- to moderate-risk areas, but how exactly do they start? After all, it isn’t just heavy rainfall that can cause a flood.

FloodSmart.gov has a lot of great resources to prepare for flooding, including a detailed look at all the scenarios that can lead to flooding in your area. From flash floods to tropical storms to new construction nearby your home, find out all the scenarios that can put your home at risk with this helpful tool.

Don’t let floodwaters catch you off guard. Get in touch today and let Bankers protect you from flooding and other risks.

Have your own story about dealing with destructive floods? Tell us about it in the comments or connect with us on Twitter or Facebook.

This week is National Flood Safety Awareness Week, and what better way to participate than figuring out what flooding could mean to your bottom line?

Floods and flash floods occur in all 50 states, and the average annual U.S. flood losses from 2001-2010 were more than $2.7 billion. Combine those numbers with the fact that over 20% of NFIP flood claims come from outside of high-risk flood areas, and it’s easy to see why staying informed and protected from flooding is crucial.

To help understand the risk flooding poses to your home and family, FloodSmart.gov provides an easy online tool that allows you to choose your square footage and the height of floodwater, and then calculate the average amount of damage in dollars. The figures might surprise you—just an inch of floodwater in a 1,000-square-foot area costs an average of over $10,000 in damage.

Don’t let floodwaters catch you off guard. Get in touch today and let Bankers protect you from flooding and other risks.

Have your own story about dealing with destructive floods? Tell us about it in the comments or connect with us on Twitter or Facebook.

All data collected from FloodSmart.gov.

Flooding is a risk that affects Americans from coast to coast, and it’s important to be informed about what you can do to protect your home and your family.

National Flood Safety Awareness Week is intended to highlight the ways that floods occur and provide tips on how to be prepared in case of a flood emergency. To help spread the word, FEMA and the Ready campaign have teamed up to provide Ready.gov, a great resource of information and emergency planning tools.

Check out the site for more info on what to do before, during, and after a flood, as well as details on how and why flooding occurs.

Don’t let floodwaters catch you off guard. Get in touch today and let Bankers protect you from flooding and other risks.

Have your own story about dealing with destructive floods? Tell us about it in the comments or connect with us on Twitter or Facebook.

Australia’s New South Wales has been hit hard by widespread flooding, causing over 10,000 people to be evacuated from their homes. See the video below for footage of the floods:

But the flooding has also left thousands of other creatures homeless—including spiders, which have seen a boom in numbers in the wet weather. To survive the rising waters, wolf spiders have spun countless webs across sticks and bushes, blanketing the area in an unsettling white cloud. See below for a few pictures of the eerie white webs:

Don’t let floodwaters catch you off guard. Get in touch today and let Bankers protect you from flooding and other risks.

Have your own story about dealing with destructive floods? Tell us about it in the comments or connect with us on Twitter or Facebook.

Flooding causes damage and destruction nationwide each year. There are a few common sense actions you can take to keep loves ones and possessions safe when waters rise. This week FEMA teaches us about flood safety and preparation tips.

Check out the video and share your thoughts by commenting below or on Twitter using the hashtag #riskymonday.

#riskymonday, brought to you by Bankers Insurance Group, covers one important video highlighting the risks we face each week. Watch the video and join the discussion in the See Through Insurance blog comments, on the Bankers Insurance Group Facebook page or on Twitter using the hashtag #riskymonday.

For many East Coasters, Hurricane Irene caused large amounts of devastation as the storm ravaged towns and left millions of residents without power. Many were left stranded as Irene flooded coastal towns pushing water inland destroying roads and homes along it’s path. Check out the video and share your thoughts by commenting below or on Twitter using the hashtag #riskymonday.

#riskymonday, brought to you by Bankers Insurance Group, covers one important video highlighting the risks we face each week. Watch the video and join the discussion in the See Through Insurance blog comments, on the Bankers Insurance Group Facebook page or on Twitter using the hashtag #riskymonday.

As the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane season produces its first land-threatening hurricane, we want to remind you of the importance of storm prep and planning.

Here are 3 quick resources to help you and your family get ready for severe weather and its aftermath:

• Disaster Safety
• FloodSmart
• NOAA Storm Prep

As William Booher, the director of external affairs for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, says

It’s like that old saying: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The steps you take now, from taking a quick inventory of what you need to have on hand to designating an out-of-town emergency contact, mean you’ll be better able to cope when Mother Nature is at her most fearsome. 

Have a conversation with your family about what to do as a storm approaches. Make sure you have an emergency supply kit assembled. And plan for the aftermath of a catastrophe, both for your home and business.

Our award-winning Bankers CAT team has over 30 years of experience handling more than 25 storms. We’ve been through this before, and we’re here for you now. Be smart, be safe and think a step ahead of the storm.

Advances in home construction have lead the Institute for Home and Business Safety to create the FORTIFIED for Safer Living Program. The program is designed for new home constructions and helps to ensure that your home is safe guarded against natural disasters that are particular to your region. By strengthening the outer envelope, the program increases your home’s resistance to storm, flood and fire damage. Check out the video and share your thoughts by commenting below or on Twitter using the hashtag #riskymonday.

#riskymonday, brought to you by Bankers Insurance Group, covers one important video highlighting the risks we face each week. Watch the video and join the discussion in the See Through Insurance blog comments, on the Bankers Insurance Group Facebook page or on Twitter using the hashtag #riskymonday.