FLORIDA/TEXAS—As much as we all like to prepare to enjoy the holidays, this year 2022 cold temperatures have arrived earlier and steadier. That means, for us in Texas, we have already gone through over a week of very low temperatures below the 50º, a little unusual for this time of the year—considering that Fall doesn’t end until the 21st of December. La Niña is a climate pattern resulting from cooler-than-normal temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that can have impacts across the globe.
Both El Niño and La Niña are intermittent climate phenomena that originate in the equatorial Pacific Ocean but can have wide-ranging effects on weather around the world. The two are related, but they can never occur simultaneously.
El Niño and La Niña are the opposite phases of what is called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. And there are plenty of times when neither occurs. ENSO describes the fluctuation of two things in the equatorial Pacific: the surface temperature of the ocean and the pressure of the air above it.
A La Niña weather forecast was given for 2022-23 as higher probabilities increased the odds over previous forecasts. This would be a third La Niña winter for Texas in a row. A month ago, the odds of La Niña continuing through winter (December-February) were at 65%, but the latest forecast odds have jumped to 75%.
A winter La Niña typically brings a warmer-than-normal and drier-than-normal period for most Texas and Florida. Understanding this information and tracking these events will help you stay ahead assessing your risk levels, and making sure you own the right types of insurance to provide your business with the best protection against loss.
If you run a business as a contractor, safety and cold weather safety awareness must be addressed as you provide emergency services such as broken pipes, electrical issues, general property renovations.
Depending on the area of the country, some examples of the insurance coverages worth reviewing in preparation for El Niño are:
If you have employees, a workers compensation insurance covers workers injured on the job, whether they're hurt on the workplace premises or elsewhere, or in auto accidents while on business. It also covers work-related illnesses.
Don’t forget to compare rates and terms from different insurance carriers to find which one benefits you most. Also, make sure you re-asses your insurance needs as your business grows. If you’ve expanded operation or made additional investments in important equipment, you must protect it with a policy that covers it all.
At Garzor Insurance we care about your business. Our experienced professionals are dedicated to providing commercial insurance in Florida as well as Texas, and now many other states across the U.S. If you also have questions about truck or other commercial vehicles insurance, or any other business insurance aspects, please do not hesitate to visit us online at Garzor Insurance, or you may want to call us directly at (321) 206-8035.
Luis Laguado, JR
Licensed Insurance Agent
