2009 Drought Sparks Concern Over Surge In Wildfires: Older Americans At Risk

The Hartford's "Advance 50 Team" of gerontologists offers a free booklet about how to plan for a disaster and recover in the aftermath.

HARTFORD, Conn., Apr 09, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The beginning of 2009 is on record as the driest start to a year in over a century, leading to severe drought in Texas and most of California, dipping reservoir levels in Florida and a surge of wildfires across the U.S. The National Interagency Fire Center has logged 111,814 wildfires, the most for any two-month period in a decade and almost 3,700 more than the average, raising concerns that there will be a longer fire season this summer.

In light of the potential for severe weather across the U.S., the Advance 50 Team of gerontologists at The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG), one of the nation's largest diversified financial services companies, is reaching out to educate people, especially older adults who are particularly vulnerable, about how good planning can make all the difference in surviving a natural disaster and getting life back on track afterward.

"Disaster planning does not have to be daunting," said Cynthia Hellyar, gerontologist, Advance 50 Team at The Hartford. "Based on research we have conducted with people age 50 and older across the country, we have identified three key elements - the ABC's - to survive and recover from a disaster. They apply to everyone, but especially to older adults."

Action - Take It

  • Plan for the possibility that you may have to evacuate your home.
    • Collect the items recommended to get you through and beyond the event. Will you need extra supplies of prescriptions or require refrigeration for some medications?
  • Set up your support network.
  • Evaluate the risks, abilities and needs of everyone in your household and adjust your plan accordingly.
    • Do you have to depend on electricity to operate medical equipment or devices, or to keep cool or warm enough?
  • Make a plan for your pets.

Belongings - Know Them

  • Create a home inventory. Start by going room to room with a video or still camera to make a visual record of your belongings.
  • Prepare a written list to accompany your visual record.
  • Keep receipts for valuable items and write on your inventory list their make, model, serial number, date of purchase and other relevant information.
  • Store a copy of whatever documentation you create away from your home.
  • Update the inventory periodically.

Connections - Make Them

  • Have family conversations about disasters and how you will support each other.
  • Broaden your support network to include neighbors.
  • Be specific with others in your network about the tasks that need to be done and who will do them.
  • Do not hesitate to ask for help if needed, and reach out to others to offer your help.
  • Adjust your support network after a major life event.

Creating a plan also helps with insurance matters. It reminds policyholders about their coverage needs and what their policy does and does not protect. This puts insurance customers in a better position during the claims process.

These tips and more are described in "It Could Happen to Me: Family Conversations about Disaster Planning." To order a free copy of the booklet, visit The Hartford's web site, www.thehartford.com/talkaboutdisasterplanning.

About The Hartford Advance 50 Team

The Hartford is one of the few companies in the United States with in-house experts on aging. For over 25 years, The Hartford has employed gerontologists to advance innovative business solutions for the 50+ market. Since 1999, as a founding sponsor of the MIT AgeLab, The Hartford Advance 50 Team has collaborated with MIT to produce original research and public education on safety, mobility and independence.

About The Hartford

The Hartford is one of the nation's largest financial services companies and a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

HIG-PC

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

SOURCE: The Hartford 

The Hartford
Michelle Loxton, 860-547-7413
Michelle.loxton@thehartford.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009

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