It is not a surprise that California has different weather patterns than other areas of the United States. Why then, would small and medium-sized business owners in the Golden State assume that one generic insurance policy is enough to cover their daily needs and unexpected events?
Working with commercial insurance specialists who specialize in various forms of California business insurance policies is well-advised. Not only is it important to account for regular operations - making deliveries or customer liability - but area-specific things like severe weather have to be considered.
For example, Southern California has been facing intense wildfires, forcing some neighborhoods to evacuate. According to Reuters, as of last Friday, 1,100 homes in areas Northwest of Los Angeles along the coast were evacuated and several thousand others were threatened by the fierce flames. Officials said 15 homes were damaged, along with five commercial properties.
"We're seeing fires burning like we usually see in late summer, at the height of the fire season, and it's only May," Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Tom Kruschke told Reuters.
As of Sunday, the fire was 75 percent contained and the evacuation order had been lifted, reported NBC News. The blaze started last Wednesday and with dry conditions and fierce Santa Ana winds had spread to 10,000 acres by Friday.
In situations like this, California businesses want to know that not only are they protected against damaged or lost property, but that any time spent being evacuated or away from the business, will not cause them to lose too much money. Some smaller companies cannot afford to be out of operation for more than a few days, and depending on the severity of certain events, it might not be possible to avoid the situation entirely.