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Yes, Ray, the requirements on flood adjusters do not seem to match those expected by wind carriers. As a wind adjuster I am expected to be on site within a certain number of hours of assignment (usually 48) and I am not allowed to leave the storm site until all files are completed and I am released by the storm manager. Flood vendors generally have a different expectation -- maybe from the assumption that flood adjusters are more experienced or competent. This expectation is increasingly suspect though. The requirements regarding signed documents and the degree of closing with an Insured are usually greater in a flood file than a simple hail claim. I, personally, prefer to stay on-site until I have closed as many flood files as possible in person with my Insureds (usually 100%). I've found it difficult to effectively go through and explain a detailed flood estimate over the phone and get the required signatures on the Final Report and Proof of Loss in a timely manner. After I complete my file, I make an appointment to meet with the Insured in person for a second final time. I go over the estimate and paperwork in detail and answer any final questions he/she may have and then follow them or take them to a Notary I usually have pre-arranged. When I leave them, I have all the paperwork necessary to complete the file and get both them and myself paid. I also think that this process has been the main reason my reopens in the past 8 years have been limited to less than about 10 files.

(Oh, its not the mud I mind as much as the snakes)

KLS