Declarations

A Devastating Experience

“Losing everything is an unimaginable and devastating experience. … Oklahoma’s professional agents and adjusters are poised to respond.”

—Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland has declared a state of emergency to allow insurance companies to more rapidly respond to the recent Oklahoma wildfires. The declaration enables emergency adjusters to be temporarily licensed to expedite the insurance claims process. Holland said those who have experienced a loss should locate their policy and contact their insurance agent. Agents can help, also, if the insured’s policy documentation was destroyed in a fire.

Difficult to Report

“Definite numbers are still difficult to report at this time due to the vast scope of this disaster.”

—The Texas Forest Service said April 10 that wildfires burning across the state had caused evacuations, and destroyed multiple homes and structures in their path. The agency said it was “working to gather accurate information on civilian fatalities, injuries, structures lost and acres burned, while still protecting the citizens of the state and their property.” Fueled by drought and high winds, wildfires burned some 172,000 acres in multiple locations, the Associated Press reported. Rains April 12 helped control the blazes. Wind-fueled fires in Montague County in North Texas had engulfed 75,000 acres April 9, destroying or damaging up to 100 homes. Three people died and two were injured.

Another Obstacle

“This defective Chinese drywall represents an attack on our homeowners, a defrauding of our homebuilders and another obstacle on our road to recovery.”

—U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D.-La. Landrieu and Sen. Bill Nelson, D.-Fla., filed legislation for a recall and immediate ban on tainted building products from China, as more and more people around the country are reporting problems in their homes built with imported drywall. The legislation presses the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for a recall on Chinese-made drywall, based in part on findings by a Florida homebuilder and state officials who have confirmed the presence of sulfide gases in homes built with the drywall. The legislation also asks the CPSC to work with federal testing labs and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to determine the level of hazard posed by certain chemicals and as yet unidentified organic compounds in the drywall. It calls on the commission to issue an interim ban on imports until it can create federal drywall safety standards so consumers are protected in the future. Reports indicate that this sulfur-emitting drywall smells of rotten eggs, destroys residential wiring and appliances, and poses potential health risks.

Topics Legislation Wildfire China Oklahoma Pollution