As we all know, the tropical season is off to a slow start, but the winter storm season appears to be off to an early one.  I am wondering how many people out there have worked winter storms (freeze losses, weight of ice and snow, ice damming, etc), and what kind of interest there is in handling them.  I for one started in the business up in ILL and we had some very severe weather the 1st 3 years there and had a ton of exposure to them.  Now that I'm a full time RV traveler, my motor home doesn't want to go north of the Mason Dixon Line after December 1st.  There are a few winter storms that hit southern cities (Houston on 12-24-89 was a big one that comes to mind), and the way the weather is going so far this year there may be work out there for a lot of us in this type of event.  I started this thread to discuss some of the issues that may come up with working winter type storms, both in the safety arena and the claim handling area.

On the safety issue, climbing roofs in the winter time can add in additional hazards with snow being on the ground, even though the roof is all melted and dry.  You can track up moisture by snow caked on your shoes/boots.  Roofs can have some moisture on them and that can freeze up overnight when the sun goes down, so extra caution should always be used when going on a roof.

There is also a phenomenon called thermal shock that you should be aware of when working claims in the colder climates.  Virtually all policies exclude this type of loss (expansion and contraction of walls, ceilings, roofs, etc.....)but when it happens it can happen with a vengeance and the results can completely destroy the roof membrane.  It happens mainly with flat roofs that are modified bitumen or built up roofs.  What happens is in very cold weather, the sun may come out and heat up the roof surface due to the solar effect on a black surface.  This creates an expansion of the roof surface. When the sun goes down and if the air temp is very cold, the surface will contract due to the cold and can split the roof membrane. Once this happens, if there is moisture on the roof, it leaks into the building, or when the next rain hits/snowfall melts they have a ton of water leaks.  Some will claim it is the result of weight of ice and snow build-up moving the roof structure causing the stress to the roof surface. Roofs will move with the weight of ice and snow, but there will be evidence of this on the framing members underneath the roof system. The colder the weather the more of this you can run across.  In 1982 we had 2 weekends back to back that the temps at night got down to minus 25 degrees, and the days were bright and sunny, although the warm temps stayed around minus 10 to minus 15.  I had tons of these claims after that.  Also had them in Oklahoma in 83 and 89, so it's not just the northern states that it happens.

A timely topic, Steve, as I went out yesterday here in Indianapolis with two layers of coats and had to wait for the frost to burn off the roof on my first inspection to fully inspect it!

With regard to ice dam damage, and depending on the location of the cat event, the cat adjuster will regularly be presented with estimates for roof replacement.  In most cases the roof does not need to be replaced.  But, explaining to the insured that there is likely to be nothing wrong with their roof when water is running down their interior walls can be tricky.  In many cases they will simply not believe that the ice dam did not damage their roof.  After all, how did all the water get into their ceilings and walls if the roof is not damaged?   As a matter of fact, I believe I have seen more roof damage caused by the insured or an ice removal contractor trying to chip ice off the roof than ever caused by the ice itself.  Rotted roof decking due to water under the shingles can be a major concern as well.  This will be handled in various ways, depending on the carrier and the local conditions.  I would advise studying up on how ice dams form and what they do before hitting the ground at a winter storm site.  If memory serves, somewhere in the archives, Dave Hood had an excellent explanation of this a couple years back. 

Dave, if you're reading, maybe you can share with us again or tell us where in the archive we can find this.

It is also important to remember that most policies do not cover damage to contents caused by water unless there is an opening in the structure caused by a covered loss through which the water entered.  It would be a good idea to brush up on how to explain this to the policyholder when grandma's antique table is ruined by water dripping through the ceiling.

Along with proper insulation...correct ventilation is key.

The usual method is to install a turtle type roof vent, or maybe turbines to accompany each soffit vent on the opposing sides of the house.  This allows for lower to upper breathing by the attic. 

I learned this when I had a couple claims about 3 years ago, where snow entered the attics of 2 newly built  and recently purchased/occupied homes.  The snow piles were perfect 3-4 foot high hills below each turtle vent, but began to melt & then of course damaged all the ceilings and any contents that were directly beneath.

I should add that each of these claims were tendered as liability losses against the same builder.  What we learned-- with the help of one of the building material suppliers--is that the builder failed to properly coordinate the "draft" of the attic ventilation.  When the homes were built, the builder used a "continuous vent" soffit system.  It was permanently finished 24" wide cement board perferated with 1/8" holes in a 6" wide pattern from the outer edge, around the entire perimeter of the house.  Kind of like pegboard on the outer edge, to give you a better picture.  

The builder failed to recognize or follow the manufacturer's directions regarding ventilation & attic air draft.  The builder installed the usual amount of turtle vents on the roof that he normally would have, but the additional air holes around the soffits caused a reversal of draft.  Therefore, the blowing snow all got sucked into the attic thru the roof's top vents.  The mfr rep met with us at each loss, calculated the attic air space & concluded that if 6 additional turtle vents had been installed it would have equalized the pressure and the losses never would have occurred.  It was all in their literature, but the builder just failed to recognize the loss potential.

The claims were paid for the most part by the builder since he carried a fairly high Liability PD deductible.  He still continues to use that product to this day, as it is a very nice product & maintenance free....but now he puts in the extra roof top vents. 

If you run into one of these on a 1st party loss, successful subrogation can be pursued.   The carrier you are working for will owe you a big kiss, even though you may never get it. 

Jim,

That's exactly what we are giving you here (experiences)....nobody is talking about specializing.  Take it for what it's worth and keep it in the memory bank for the day that comes that you are out there working a winter loss. 

Jim,

Check with the vendors you have worked for and see what areas of the country they work. Some are almost the south alone and others are nationwide in being able to handle multi-types of losses.

Just like any other type of diasater stuation, we have to have one first. Freeze losses are unique. Some areas of the country are so prepared for them that with heavy snow and cold for a long period of time no cat will exist. Other areas that are along the Mason-Dixon line are more likely to have the potential for cat losses if a prolonged freeze hits there. Up here in Mich, we have to have a number of days below freezing before the losses occur. Never know when.

I remember the '83 & '89 freeze losses in Houston. Both times the storms happened when there was a long Christmas weekend and many people went out of town. The weather was great and the cold front came thru like a freight train. At the time, many houses in Houston had their plumbing lines running thru the ceiling on top of the insulation. Those that stayed home during this time found the damage quickly. Those that had gone out of town found a note on their door when they returned saying the water has been turned off after one of the neighbors saw water pouring out the front door.

I just don't get it, after seeing a lot of last year's hurricane losses...why is such a high percentage of the water heaters & plumbing in the attics down South?

OK, not a lot of freeze losses and not a lot of basements in the low lying areas to afford the basement option...but why put all that potential water damage loss into play?  Couldn't there be a small main floor area to accomodate them, or is it just the added ecomonic cost?

Here in the midwest, it sure is different...lots of cold weather, but generally little flooding.  If the pipes freeze or break, or the water heater decides to rust out & leak without warning, less damage potential.