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Racerdown,

Like you, I've been in the business for 7 years. My first storm was Wilma, and I have been working basically non-stop ever since. Every job has its difficulties, and this one is no different; but overall my experience has been very positve, and the money has been excellent. I'm not going to go into all of the details here, but I've had multiple $50K + months, as I'm sure others have. When I first got into the business, I head read many negative posts on this forum from those who have been in the business for ever. They spoke of the 18+ hour days, seven days a week, and made it sound as if it is almost unbearable experience. That has not been my experience. Yes, you have to work hard and stay organized, and it does take a mental toll on you from time to time, but overall it is a great line of work, and I feel fortunately to have broken into the business. I have a good idea why some people are so negative, but out of charity I'll pass on mentioning it. Just as every line of work has its difficulties, so too every line of work has its complainers. This line of work is no different.

Newbe question here.

I was recently licensed last month and have a friend in the biz since he was trained in Katrina. How likely will it be that the rosters will be burned through and they need bodies on the ground with licensing (even newly licensed) like it was in Katrina? I am hearing different reports of the extent of the damage from the storm across all the states. So far I heard 100billion was the first estimate (but that may be a generalized amount). I understand prob won't know for a few days or until the claims start pouring in.

From the experienced guys what is the likelyhood of a very high claim amount considering the general size of the storm and it reaching several states?
Thanks.

Looking in the crystal ball, jjobst. Time will tell how accurate this prediction is. Because of the sheer size of the storm, I would tend to believe that there will be a high volume of claims. Because it never exceeded category one force, most of these claims will be small. Because of the storm surge and rainfall associated with the storm, many of the claims will be for causes of loss not covered and/or small sewer backup limits. If the carriers are smart (and they are often "pound foolish"), they will call in many adjusters and knock down the numbers of small claims up front. This is no Katrina, but it could be more of an Isabel.

Thanks for your comments Medulus. I called the suggested firms this morning from my friend. They may need to use me to help the agent but I will take whatever I can get being new. This may be a storm that will be great for me to get my feet wet, make the relationships needed, and learn as much as I can. Thanks.