If you’re on a journey to become an insurance adjuster, one thing you may have heard is that the nature of an insurance adjuster’s work can be somewhat seasonal. Sure, events like auto accidents and unnatural disasters can happen anytime. However, many of the catastrophic events that cause significant insurance losses occur because of weather. This means that some seasons of the year can be busier than others.
We have talked about what a day in the life of an adjuster looks like. Because of this seasonal nature of the job, we thought it might also be a good idea to talk about what a year can bring. Especially, if you are a new adjuster, this might help you to plan for your off time.
Insurance Adjusting in Winter
Winter can be a quiet season for insurance adjusting, especially in Texas and other southern “hurricane” states. We don’t typically get much winter weather, which is a major cause of auto accidents and property claims in states that see more severe winter weather. However, there are exceptions that you should be prepared for. The first exception is, ironically, winter weather. While we don’t typically see extended periods of winter weather, the few episodes we do see often yield a high number of accidents and damages. We tend not to be prepared for icy conditions at a structural or individual level. Additionally, on the rare occasion we get heavy snowfall, there are always lots of fallen tree branches that cause property damage.
Springtime Insurance Adjusting
They say April showers bring May flowers, but in Texas and other nearby states, spring means storms. “Storm Season” in Texas runs from March to May, but can drag into the beginning of summer some years. During these months, we see a high rate of thunderstorms that yield damaging conditions such as hail, flooding, and tornadoes. These weather events can lead to catastrophic damage that rivals hurricane damage on the coasts. Most adjusters from Texas can plan to be quite busy during this time, but may be able to plan to travel somewhat shorter distances, although there is often lots of opportunity to work in plains states as well during tornado season.
Summer Insurance Adjusting
As soon as Spring storm season in Texas gives way to summer heat, we head right into hurricane season.
Hurricane season is well known as the busiest season for insurance adjusters. When most people think of catastrophe insurance adjusting, hurricane season is the first thing that comes to mind. But, even hurricane season can be unpredictable. This past year, 2020, we had one of the most active hurricane seasons ever. There were so many storms that experts had to dip into the greek alphabet just to name them all. However, even though there were a high number of storms, many of them were thankfully smaller and less damaging. These fluctuations are to be expected from year to year, and adjusters are expected to adapt as the season unfolds. Needless today, this season requires the most travel, as hurricanes strike Texas, Louisiana, Florida and all the Gulf Coastal states, as well as the East Coast.
Autumn Insurance Adjusting
You may think that Autumn would give insurance adjusters time for a break, but that isn’t always the case. Hurricane conditions last well into the Fall, and the hurricane season doesn’t officially end until November 30. Additionally, Autumn can also bring some nasty storms to Texas as well, with flooding being quite common in the Autumn months.
Are You Up For The Challenge?
If what we described above sounds like an exciting year, 2021 Training can help. Our online training course can prepare you to take a pass your Texas licensing exam and give you a valuable start in the field. Don’t wait another day to start an exciting new career. You can start your training TODAY with 2021 Training. Click here to browse our courses.