I think there is a common misconception in the restoration industry that to do catastrophe or “CAT” work, you have to travel. According to Zurich-based reinsurance company, Swiss Re, natural disasters in 2018 worldwide cost $155 billion. Many of those disasters were in the U.S. – the California wildfires and mudslides, Hurricanes Florence and Michael, Hawaii’s volcanic eruption, flooding in Maryland, and others. Disasters happened coast-to-coast, and impacted arguably hundreds of restorers who have never traveled to a catastrophe zone, yet found themselves in ground zero.
Truth be told, traveling is not for everyone! Wise restoration owners know whether or not traveling to catastrophe losses is something they want in their service offerings or not. Tim Hull calls traveling to catastrophes “the great gamble” because they can truly make or break a company. He suggests staying home unless you’re invited to the party, and also reinforces that companies that choose to travel run the risk of missing out on work right in their own backyard for existing and future customers.