During emergencies, every hour counts. Learn how McKenzie Intelligence Services uses Mosaic’s mobile mapping camera system to speed up the insurance claim process and bring policyholders peace of mind.
Financial struggles and insurance waiting games post-disaster
When disaster strikes, people often only have minutes to grab their essentials and escape. Even after the catastrophic event is over, it can be weeks before people can access their homes to check for damage and begin the insurance claims process.
Immediate access, digital or otherwise, to disaster zones is a crucial step in the insurance claims process, but it is difficult to implement. For hurricane victims, the roads may still be too flooded or covered in debris for regular civilians to inspect their homes for damage or find peace of mind in an undamaged house. In cases of wildfires, smoldering ashes and toxic air can harm human health.
Access can also be a legal issue since law enforcement often limits the number of people allowed in damaged areas. These measures prevent theft and preserve possible crime scenes in arson cases but can hinder policyholders’ access to government funds and policy reimbursement.
These times are also very emotional, and most people prefer to know the extent of the damage, if any, sooner rather than later.
As victims wait for access to their homes, their personal expenses tend to pile up. Hotel rooms, new clothes, new electronics, and living expenses all associated with evacuation orders have to be paid up-front by victims. Many homeowners, business owners, and renters wipe out their savings and go into credit card debt to survive day-to-day.
Reducing the time needed to process insurance claims post-disaster
In general, insurance companies do not reimburse a policyholder’s necessary expenses until the full damage report is complete and the policyholder submits the claim. Without access to current information on the status of their home or business, processing insurance claims takes much longer, and policyholders’ lives are kept on hold for longer.
When every hour counts, it is crucial to have access to accurate post-disaster data so insurers can make decisions on claims within the first few days rather than weeks or months down the line. Providing the full picture to insurers in the immediate aftermath of a disaster is the mission behind McKenzie Intelligence Services (MIS).
McKenzie Intelligence Services
MIS specializes in monitoring and assessing catastrophic events through its Global Events Observer (GEO) platform. Their team of military and NATO-trained intelligence analysts use various data sources, such as imagery, radar, and sensors, to evaluate disaster impacts and get the information into people’s hands before anyone else.
Their primary customers are insurance companies, which use MIS’s data to understand property damage, expedite claims, and optimize response efforts. Insurers have access to near real-time, as well as historical disaster data, and can use a mix of machine learning and human intelligence expertise to establish likely insurance claims quickly and accurately. For insurance clients, it means faster information on the state of insured properties or business. This can also provide peace of mind and give policyholders time to decide how to proceed with their lives.
GEO contains a historical archive of over 200 events added to the platform since mid-2021 that are accessible to users at any time. This data supports immediate response, reserving strategies, and long-term risk assessment for insurers.
MIS’s Global Events Observer (GEO) platform
Insurers use GEO to access detailed reports documenting damage caused by natural disasters such as hurricanes, fires, and tornadoes, as well as man-made incidents like industrial accidents and civil unrest. GEO is a one-stop shop for data and analyses collected by utilizing:
- Ground imagery with the Mosaic 51 mobile mapping camera system mounted on a vehicle after a disaster;
- Space satellite technology that tracks affected areas pre- and post-event using multispectral satellites that can see heat maps through clouds and smoke;
- Fixed-wing aircraft that collect high-resolution imagery for in-house analysis of damage across multiple perils;
- Drones that collect ultra-high-resolution overhead imagery for specific use cases; and
- Radar and Sensors designed to collect highly technical data around events.
MIS employs experts in earth observation technology to analyze real-time and historical metrics. These include things such as wind speed measurements, ShakeMaps, population changes, and power outages. These metrics help determine the extent of the damage and risk of a repeat event.
Aerial surveying limitations
Drones and fixed-wing aircraft surveying are excellent tools for post-event intelligence, but they do not work in every situation, nor can they tell the entire story. Lingering wildfire smoke and heavy cloud cover can limit a drone or aircraft’s image capture from the sky. It can also be difficult to communicate the extent of the damage accurately to non-technical stakeholders without street-level imagery in certain circumstances.
Partnering with Mosaic was an easy decision for McKenzie Intelligence Services because they want to give their clients the full story as soon as hurricanes strike, from all angles.
Enhancing insurance assessments with street-level imagery
While radar and sensor data provide crucial data for MIS’s intelligence analysts to perform damage assessments for the benefit of their insurance clients, street-level imagery adds a layer of clarity and accessibility that benefits both insurers and policyholders.
Not everyone is a technical expert in interpreting radar scans or point clouds, but high-resolution imagery offers an intuitive, real-world view that makes the insurance claims process and assessment more transparent. For insurers, this added visual context can enhance fraud detection, improve underwriting decisions, and streamline communication with customers. Ultimately, combining radar-based assessments with street-level imagery ensures a more comprehensive and user-friendly approach.
Introducing ground-level imagery to MIS’s GEO Reports
MIS needed a highly detailed, ground-level perspective to enhance their disaster assessments following hurricanes. Street-level imagery helps them provide insurers with visual proof of damage, improving response times and decision-making.
Mosaic’s cameras capture high-resolution ground-level images, supplementing MIS’s aerial and satellite data. This imagery is then integrated into hurricane reports within their Global Events Observer platform.
Thanks to the expertise of their intelligence analysts, MIS produces assessments using non-visual data, but insurers find street-level imagery valuable for claims processing and transparency. It adds that personal touch and clarifies the situation for laypeople who can’t interpret detailed radar reports. Insurers can use imagery to confirm property damage, or lack thereof, much more efficiently.
The importance of having the most accurate data as soon as possible
Decision-making without accurate data is just guesswork, and when millions of dollars are on the line, it is important to have the facts right. Mosaic’s mobile mapping camera system supports MIS’s intelligence analysts in producing accurate disaster reports to assess the impact of hurricanes. By providing accurate, actionable intelligence to its clients, MIS gives insurance companies the tools they need to make the right decisions for their business and each unique policyholder’s circumstances. Insurers use GEO to assess property more quickly and safely than they could with physical adjusters. It also allows insurers to understand the real impact of disasters, avoiding misinformation.
“After a disaster, there’s a lot of noise in the media, but trusted information can be scarce, making it hard to know what’s really happening on the ground. That’s why our multi-source data approach of using satellite, aerial, and street-level imagery, plus other sources like radar and sensor data, is vital. It helps our Intelligence team cut through the noise and give insurers an accurate picture of the damage, meaning they can move quickly and confidently in their response to global events. Whether things are as bad as they seem in the headlines or not, having verified intelligence in the immediate aftermath of an event enables informed decision-making that leads to the best outcomes for everyone.”
– Will Bonner, Chief Operating Officer, McKenzie Intelligence Services
Climate change’s impact on insurance risk assessments
As increased climate risks continue to shake the insurance industry, having accurate data is more important than ever. Insurance rates are based on historical and predicted risk assessments, but the new norms set by climate change are significantly reshaping the insurance industry. Increasing costs are forcing insurers to rethink traditional risk assessment practices and coverage areas.
These growing risks are prompting the insurance industry to adopt advanced data analytics and AI-driven risk modeling to better predict and manage climate-related losses. As a result, policyholders must proactively evaluate their exposure to the elements and invest in resiliency measures, such as metal roofs and fire-proof landscaping.
Another major contributor to stress is the anticipation of shifting coverage terms and increasing premiums as insurance companies enter uncharted waters related to climate change.
Conclusion
In the critical hours and days following a disaster, timely and accurate data isn’t just helpful; it’s essential. From enabling faster insurance claim processing to supporting eligibility for government reimbursement, every image and data point plays a role in helping communities rebuild.
By integrating Mosaic’s ground-level imagery into its GEO platform during hurricane events, McKenzie Intelligence Services is bridging the gap between technical data and human understanding. This partnership empowers insurers to act swiftly and responsibly to offer policyholders the clarity and peace of mind they deserve.
As climate events become more frequent and unpredictable, tools like Mosaic’s mobile mapping camera system will remain indispensable in delivering transparency, reducing delays, and restoring lives more quickly.
