Progressive Moves Resources into Texas Ahead of Hurricane Rita: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

As Rita Bears Down on the Lone Star State, Nation's Third Largest Auto Insurance Group Staffs to Ensure Prompt Response

Offers Pre-Storm Tips for Drivers



AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 21, 2005--Hurricane Rita is expected to strike the Texas coast this weekend, potentially bringing heavy rain, inland flooding and high winds. Reacting quickly to this new threat, the Progressive Group of Insurance Companies (NYSE:PGR - News) is deploying claims representatives from around the country to areas that are most likely to be affected by the storm.

"Hurricane Rita presents a particular challenge given the massive response still underway in the Gulf Coast region following Katrina," said Scott Snapp, national catastrophe response director, Progressive. "We've already settled about 30 percent of our Katrina-related claims and we are prepared to deploy as many additional claims representatives as it takes to make sure all our customers' claims are settled quickly and fairly."



Progressive, the fourth largest auto insurance provider in Texas, has 28 claims offices across the state and a 220,000-square foot regional headquarters in Austin that is serving as the company's Hurricane Command Center.



As with any hurricane, Rita's potential for inland flooding is especially dangerous. According to the National Hurricane Center, more than half of all hurricane-related deaths in the past 30 years were due to inland flooding and one quarter of those drowned inside their vehicle or while attempting to abandon it.



Progressive offers the following tips for protecting your car, recreational vehicle or boat as Hurricane Rita approaches:



If you are leaving a car or recreational vehicle behind to weather

the storm:



-- Park the car or recreational vehicle on high ground, as close

as possible to a sturdy building; don't leave the vehicle in a

low-lying area prone to flooding. If you have to park it

outdoors, park it away from trees, poles or other large

objects that may fall onto it.



-- Boats should be moved inland if possible. Make sure you have

everything you need to secure your boat, including extra

lines, chafe protection, fenders, anchors, port plugs, duct

tape and extra batteries.



If you are evacuating the area with your car or recreational vehicle:



-- Avoid driving through standing water. The average automobile

can be swept off the road in as little as 12 inches of moving

water, and roads covered by water are prone to collapse. If

you come upon a flooded street, take an alternate route.



-- If no alternate route exists and you have no other reasonable

alternative but to drive through standing water...



-- Do your best to estimate the depth of the water (if other

cars are driving through, take note of how deep the

water is).



-- Drive SLOWLY and STEADILY through the water.



-- Once you and your vehicle are out of deep water and are in

a safe area, depress your brakes slowly to dry them.



-- If your vehicle stalls in the deep water, you may need to

restart the engine to make it to safety (know, however,

that restarting may cause irreparable damage to the

engine).



-- If you can't restart your vehicle and you become trapped

in rising water, IMMEDIATELY ABANDON FOR HIGHER GROUND.

If you are unable to get out of the vehicle safely, call

911 or get the attention of a passerby or someone standing

on higher ground.