By Katie Logisz
September 13, 2004

As U.S.Mayor goes to press, Florida residents are reeling in the wake of two hurricanes in three weeks and anxiously watching the path of Hurricane Ivan. As residents are still receiving disaster relief from Hurricane Charley, more assistance will be required to clean up in the aftermath of Hurricane Frances. Federal assistance and Red Cross assistance is being administered, and Conference of Mayors Platinum Partner Nationwide Retirement Solutions, and its parent company, are working diligently to aid in the relief to Floridians.

NRS Director of National Accounts Maggie Kwasny notes, "Nationwide continues to field calls from clients with regard to Charley and Frances and is preparing for the possibility of Ivan affecting the U.S." Nationwide's website, www.nationwide.com, offers continuous updates for those in a storm's path, advising clients how to best protect property and assets, and how to apply for assistance in the wake of a storm.

Nationwide estimates that approximately fifty thousand insurance claims will be filed in the wake of Charley with losses approaching $400 million. Within the first week following Charley's devastation, over twenty-two thousand claims had already been filed. Reports are not yet in from Frances, but as of 9am on September 7, more than 10,000 claim calls had been received. This number is indicative of the large volume that is sure to follow as many Florida residents affected by Frances have yet to return home and assess damage. For some residents, these will be the second claims filed for storm damage in three weeks.

Florida's public employees were also affected by the storms. Many of Nationwide Retirement Solutions' 457 clients returned home to find their property destroyed or severely damaged, and turned to their retirement accounts for help. Typically, 457 clients cannot access their retirement accounts until after they have finished working for their government employers. However, hurricane damage is a clear example of an Unforeseeable Emergency — a situation that lets clients access their retirement assets to respond to immediate personal needs. As of September 1, Nationwide Retirement Solutions has helped some 500 Florida workers get more than $1.5 million in Unforeseeable Emergency withdrawals from their 457 accounts.

NRS and Nationwide take seriously their commitment to customers. Nationwide has assembled its largest-ever coordination of claims adjusters. In the wake of Hurricane Frances, over 1200 adjusters from across the country were already positioned to help clients. Furthermore, Nationwide agents are able to examine and process claims without ever setting foot inside a claims office due to the new mobile technology that they are utilizing in Florida. Adjusters are armed with laptop notebook computers equipped with wireless internet. They have digital cameras, satellite phones, and even have the capability to print claims checks from their vans. Conference of Mayors Deferred Compensation participants in the affected areas of Florida are exempt from having to file for Unforeseeable Emergency withdrawals via mail, and can apply for these funds over the phone. These efforts are just two of the ways that NRS and Nationwide's "on your side" promise comes to meet the customer. NRS and Nationwide stand ready to help customers in all ways possible and encourage customers to explore the help that is available through your city's deferred compensation plan. NRS customer service agents are available at (877) 677-3678 to explore help options.