Happy Wednesday! It's hard to believe that today is already the last Wednesday in February. We might be moving closer to spring on the calendar, but we're still dealing with winter storms.

This ties into our first topic of today's Big I Buzz: Insurance Commissioner Nathan Houdek has shared tips and reminders for Wisconsinites who may have experienced property damage as a result of the recent winter storm. You can share this news release with your clients! 

Remind your clients that they should notify you about winter storm damage to begin the claims process. Additionally, the experts at OCI have recommended these tips as they respond to storm damage: 

"1. Make a list of damaged items, including cracks in walls, missing shingles, spoiled food due to a power outage, etc.

  2. Take photographs of the damages before you begin to clean up. 

  3. Don't throw out any damaged property without the claim adjuster's agreement." 

You can read the full OCI press release here. 

New Strain of Bird Flu Related to 2015 Virus

Next up for discussion is the new bird flu strain. While we're still hearing headlines about COVID-19, there are a few stories coming out about a new bird flu strain. 

A new discover has found that there's a virus infecting a commercial turkey flock in Indiana. This has caused a fear of a repeat of 2015's bird flu outbreak that killed 50 million birds across 15 states. Related to the 2015 virus, the new strain is H5N1 and has been identified in Europe, Asia and Canada before being seen in the U.S. According to Insurance Journal, "U.S. surveillance efforts have identified the virus in wild birds in recent weeks in New Hampshire, Delaware, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and South Carolina, making it apparent that this is in the environment broadly.... Producers who want to ensure eligibility for government indemnity payments in case of disaster must have a biosecurity protocol on hand that is updated regularly. To help with that, the USDA has developed a 14-point biosecurity plan for producers, which is audited yearly and reviewed every two years by state agriculture agencies, said Dr. Yuko Sato, a veterinarian and assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine at Iowa State University." You can read more here. 

Is This the Biggest Test for the Wholesale Insurance Market? 

Last up on our discussion for the day is a recent podcast from Insurance Business Talk. The episode discusses the importance of building durable, trusted partnerships for navigating new and emerging risks in an increasingly complex and dynamic marketplace. Tune in to hear more about how commercial insurance distribution is evolving and the importance of identifying new pathways to grow in the wholesale marketplace. Click here to access the podcast. 

For more news, check out the Action news section of our weekly e-newsletter, Big I Buzz. If you aren’t subscribed, click here to add your email to our emailing list.