As each New Year comes around, there is usually media coverage of "the year in review" – sometimes focusing on local events, but more frequently covering global events. It used to be that the impact of distant events remained in the distance but thanks to technology, the world can seem to be a smaller place. That said, there can still be a tendency in many people’s minds to operate on an "it can’t happen to me" basis, ignoring any broader implications for themselves, their businesses and their NY commercial insurance policy. 

Hurricane Katrina wiped out huge areas of New Orleans and the city is still in recovery six years on. In the wake of such a huge disaster, many people further up the eastern seaboard may have told themselves that while the experience in New Orleans was terrible, they would be all right, because a hurricane like that would be unlikely to occur in their area. Roll forward to August 2011, and that’s exactly what did happen, when Hurricane Irene traveled up the coast and hit New York and surrounding regions.

Distancing ourselves from the idea that major disasters might happen close to home, that they are something that happens to other people, is a human tendency. The reality is they can, and do, happen anywhere and everywhere. Business owners’ defenses should include adequate preparation, including appropriate additional coverage to complement their NY commercial insurance policy, as much of the damage due to natural disasters may not be covered by basic property coverage.

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