2008-09-14 21:12:06 -

- As the Greater Houston area transitions from the "search and rescue" phase to the initial recovery phase in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ike, Farmers Insurance is on the ground and helping customers. Farmers' Mobile Catastrophe Claims Center rolled into Houston Saturday, within hours of Ike slamming into the Texas Gulf Coast. Farmers' Mobile Catastrophe Claims Center set up in Northwest Houston and began helping customers file on-the-spot claims early this morning.

"We will move our mobile claims buses into the hardest hit areas as soon as it is safe to do so in order to help the most people," said Larry Pratt, State Executive Director of Farmers in Texas. "We want to make it as easy as

possible for our customers to file claims quickly."

Farmers has more than 1,000 claims people in the Houston, Galveston and Beaumont areas helping customers file claims following Hurricane Ike.

"Within the first 24-hours of Ike we received more than 11,000 claims," said Paul Quinn Assistant Vice President of Claims Communications for Farmers Insurance. "We know this is only the beginning and we want to help our customers rebuild from this hurricane as quickly as possible."

Farmers has two Mobile Catastrophe Claims (MCC) buses and 10 Customer Care Claims Vehicles (CCV) either in Houston or en-route to the hardest hit areas of Texas.

Farmers' Mobile Catastrophe Claims buses are 45' long and are equipped with state-of-the art satellite communications equipment; seven claims stations; water, supplies; laptop and telephone capability, and a built-in grill to serve meals to Farmers' customers and others in need. Farmers Customer Care Claims Vehicles are smaller versions of the buses to assist with claims and supply needs.

Farmers Insurance customers with damage should immediately contact their agent or call Farmers' 24-hour-claims hotline, 800-HelpPoint (1-800-435-7764) for immediate assistance.

Spanish-speaking customers should call (877) RECLAMO -- (877) 732-5266.

Foremost Insurance customers should file their claim by calling: 800-527-3907.

Bristol West Insurance customers should file their claim by calling: 1-800-274-7865.

Flood victims who have flood insurance should contact the National Flood Program at www.floodsmart.gov.

If you have Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) coverage with windstorm damage, contact your agent to report a claim. If your agent can't be reached, you can call (800) 788-8247. For more information, visit www.twia.org.

Farmers Group, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Financial Services, an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Farmers(R) is the nation's third-largest Personal Lines Property & Casualty insurance group. Property and casualty products are underwritten and issued by the Farmers Exchanges and their subsidiaries, which Farmers Group, Inc. manages but does not own. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Farmers insurers provide Homeowners, Auto, Business, Life insurance and financial services to more than 10 million households. For more information about Farmers, visit our Web site at www.farmers.com.

Farmers Insurance Group
Michelle Levy, 512-791-7445
michelle.levy@farmersinsurance.com
Jerry Davies, 213-400-4459
jerry.davies@farmersinsurance.com
David Bishop 850-228-8997
david.bishop@farmersinsurance.com