Natural Disaster Planning Software Helping Homeowners Across the U.S.
On top of a global pandemic, millions of Americans have experienced wildfires, windstorms and hurricanes this year. Louisville-based tech startup WeatherCheck is making their lives easier, by building detailed models of natural disaster damage across the U.S. The company collects data from various sources (e.g. FEMA) and develops software models, to help individuals, mortgage lenders, corporations and insurers prepare for these natural disasters before they happen, and process claims much faster after damage occurs.
WeatherCheck’s team is made up of weather scientists, AI professors, climatologists, cloud computing engineers, and claims analysts. They’re the only company in the country providing the address-specific information owners require.
Before COVID-19 hit, WeatherCheck’s main offering was its subscription service. Customers would pay a fee, and can access damage reports for properties as well as a live monitoring tool for upcoming storms and/or hurricanes. But, as with many businesses, sales dropped when the public was told to shelter and stay home. So, the company shifted focus, developing a solution that allowed homeowners to file claims online.
In late August, a windstorm hit Iowa and more than 8,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, as COVID-19 case numbers rose in the state. WeatherCheck partnered with insurers to set aside $20 million in a recovery fund to help Iowans rebuild and also rolled out free access to its “Preferred” program, which helps users identify the best time to file a claim and get through the reconstruction process two times faster than they would by working directly with an insurance provider. Thanks to those efforts, homeowners affected by the storm were able to receive their recovery funds within 48 hours of filing a claim and start rebuilding immediately.
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