Released: October 25, 2005

With more than 90% of Grid 1 inspected by insurance company adjusters last week, Commissioner of Insurance Robert Wooley gave the go-ahead yesterday for the coordinated adjusting of Grid 2 in St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes to officially begin.

Working with parish officials and the insurance industry, Commissioner Wooley developed the idea of subdividing St. Bernard and Plaquemines, two parishes badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina, into small grids containing approximately 1,000 households each. Parish officials then created their respective grid maps, using a parish street map. The map for St. Bernard Parish consists of 25 grids. Plaquemines officials subdivided their parish into nine grids, using their council districts as boundaries.

From October 17 through the 23rd, insurance companies began working in a coordinated effort to more efficiently adjust claims in Grid 1. Commissioner Wooley believes an organized approach to adjusting an entire parish is vital to its redevelopment. "I think it is important that entire neighborhoods and city blocks are all adjusted at the same time so the citizens living there can start the rebuilding process together," says Wooley. "A piecemeal approach slows down the redevelopment process. I am pleased that this voluntary program has been met with such success."

Commissioner Wooley made an unannounced visit to Grid 1 in St. Bernard Parish on October 21, talking to property owners and adjusters. "I saw quite a few adjusters on the job and talked to many homeowners, all of whom had been visited by their company adjuster," adds Wooley. "The citizens I spoke with were very positive about the prospect of rebuilding their neighborhoods as they existed before Katrina struck."

Insurance company adjusters are scheduled to visit Grid 2 properties in both St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes from Monday, October 24 through Sunday, October 30, although many insurers report to the Commissioner that they have completed their work in Grid 2 and beyond as well. The Commissioner says companies are working hard to track down their policyholders to let them know what day they can expect a visit from an adjuster.

The following are boundaries for Grid 2 in St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes:

St. Bernard Parish: Grid 2 boundaries are Benjamin Drive and Center Street north, Friscoville and Lebeau Avenues south, Center Street to the east and Friscoville and Alexander Avenues to the west.

Plaquemines Parish: Grid 2 spans from West Ravenna Road to the Freeport Sulphur Plant in Port Sulphur.

Grid maps will be posted on the Department of Insurance Web site:
www.ldi.state.la.us, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita section.

-30-