As Typhoon “White Dolphin” approaches, strong winds and rain have been impacting many parts of Zhejiang Province since the night of August 7. Facing the severe weather, the insurance industry has quickly activated emergency response protocols. Branches along the typhoon's path have immediately initiated major disaster response mechanisms, setting up special task forces to implement emergency measures. These include green claims channels, risk warnings, rescue deployment, corporate protection, and agricultural disaster prevention, aiming to provide comprehensive disaster relief, surveying, and claims services.

Claims processing continues uninterrupted during the storm

“I was worried I’d have to go to the scene for a claim, which would be too troublesome in the storm. To my surprise, everything was completed online,” said Mr. Wang, a resident of Yuyao, Ningbo, Zhejiang. He praised the efficient and considerate service during the typhoon, sharing his claims experience on social media and applauding the insurance service that remained undeterred by the weather. Due to the strong winds and heavy rain brought by Typhoon “White Dolphin,” many areas in Yuyao experienced hazards like falling objects from heights and debris, causing accidental damage to numerous vehicles. Around 8:00 AM on August 9, Mr. Wang’s vehicle, parked outdoors, was struck by a falling object blown by the typhoon. Under the extreme weather conditions, the entire claim process was handled online, requiring no waiting outside. The full settlement process was completed by 9:50 AM. “In response to the typhoon disaster, we have opened a special claims service, promoting remote online damage assessment to reduce the public's exposure to risk while protecting car owners' property,” said a representative from Ping An Property & Casualty Insurance. Facing multiple recent typhoons, PICC Property and Casualty held consecutive emergency coordination meetings for major disaster claims on August 5 and 7. They are advancing a new model for major disaster claims, focusing on the entire chain of “preparation, prevention, rescue, and compensation,” setting up defenses in advance to reinforce risk reduction lines. They are accelerating insurance claims and, before the typhoon made landfall, had already completed the industry’s first vehicle and rural housing insurance payouts in the Ningbo area. At 9:00 AM on August 9, Taiping Property & Casualty Insurance’s Ningbo branch, using its major disaster claims green channel and differentiated claims policies, efficiently completed its first vehicle insurance claim payout in 25 minutes and 11 seconds. To combat “White Dolphin,” countless insurance claims personnel remained at their posts in the storm, honoring their commitment to “compensate all claims and settle them quickly,” providing a reliable safety net for those affected by the typhoon.

Setting up defenses before the storm arrives

To effectively prepare for typhoon defense and disaster relief work, the insurance industry has pre-deployed resources and personnel, moving services forward to the frontline areas where the typhoon is expected to make landfall, thereby building the first line of defense against the disaster. At the same time, a 24-hour duty system has been established to ensure an immediate response and handling of any emergency. According to a representative from PICC Property and Casualty, the company pre-activated 18 storage sites and 181 rescue vehicles in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. In Ningbo, they coordinated the allocation of over 900 flood barriers, more than 1,900 water-absorbent bags, and over 12,000 units of various disaster prevention materials. In Anhui, they prepared over 9,000 pieces of flood prevention and relief supplies. Concurrently, the company’s branches across various regions completed the inspection of survey vehicles, distribution of technical claims tools, and joint debugging of water immersion sensors, ensuring that emergency forces are “ready to deploy, able to charge forward, and capable of winning.” As of now, CPIC Property Insurance’s Zhejiang branch has deployed 443 personnel for vehicle insurance emergency work, dispatched 336 survey vehicles, and inspected 299 flood-prone areas. They have visited 489 corporate clients and issued 83 loss prevention recommendations. They also dispatched 213 personnel across 22 specialized “agriculture, rural areas, and farmers” anti-typhoon service teams, visiting 921 farming households to assist with typhoon prevention and disaster resistance. CPIC Property Insurance’s Fujian branch completed pre-typhoon visits to 131 enterprises, issued warnings to 823 enterprises, and alerted 205 agricultural enterprises and farmers. They helped harvest 794 mu of early rice and disseminated typhoon warning information through enterprise WeChat, official accounts, and social media, covering over 1.2 million customers. As of August 7, China Life Property & Casualty had issued special disaster prevention warnings, pushing typhoon alerts, prevention tips, and risk avoidance information. They have strengthened pre-event warnings and proactive prevention, sending over 10,000 typhoon warning messages to customers to enhance their ability to prevent and avoid disasters independently.

Performing pre-flood risk reduction services

Before the typhoon’s arrival, the insurance industry simultaneously conducted pre-flood special visits and inspections, covering key areas such as agriculture, engineering, energy, transportation, and buildings. CPIC Property Insurance’s Shanghai branch conducted pre-disaster visits to the Pudong New Area and Lingang New City. For large logistics parks and ongoing construction projects, they individually contacted corporate safety officers, inspected on-site critical areas like rooftop facilities, drainage systems, electrical rooms, outdoor equipment, and temporary structures. They checked for vulnerabilities to wind and potential waterlogging risks, meticulously reviewed the implementation of corporate typhoon prevention plans, emergency material reserves, and duty arrangements. Using historical typhoon damage cases, they provided professional recommendations for improvements, including equipment reinforcement, drainage clearing, material relocation, and electrical circuit protection. China Life Property & Casualty’s Taizhou Central Sub-branch fully activated the pre-disaster emergency prevention and control mechanism for agricultural insurance, carefully reviewing insured agricultural assets within its jurisdiction. The Luqiao Sub-branch visited 292 farming households and sent 446 warning messages. For rice fields ready for harvest, agricultural insurance specialists contacted farmers individually, urging them to “harvest quickly and ensure the crop is stored safely,” resulting in the harvest of over 1,000 mu. Ping An Property & Casualty’s Zhoushan Central Sub-branch leveraged the leading role of Party building, using Party member vanguard teams and youth突击 teams as core forces. They conducted multi-point, simultaneous pre-disaster risk reduction volunteer services, bringing financial services to the people on the front line of typhoon defense. In the Dagang Community of Shenjiamen Street, Party cadre Wang Wei led youth突击 team members Chen Jiakang and Ni Jinhui to visit elderly people living alone. They carefully checked the sturdiness of doors and windows, secured items like steel frames in courtyards and outdoor objects that could easily fall, and eliminated potential home safety hazards. They also delivered comfort supplies and patiently advised the elderly on how to stay safe at home during the typhoon, building a home safety barrier for this vulnerable group. In Huangshan, Anhui, PICC Property and Casualty identified 44 flood-prone areas and 47 risk points in underground parking garages, carrying out a thorough network-style hazard inspection. To date, the province has preemptively relocated 365 vehicles at risk. They have also confirmed 895 cooperative repair facilities and reserved 79 storage sites to ensure that vehicles can be quickly rescued and properly accommodated after the disaster. Various insurance institutions have stated they will continue to closely monitor the typhoon’s dynamics, keep the green service channels for reporting, surveying, and claims open, and implement measures such as rapid damage assessment and advance payment. With full-chain risk reduction services, they are dedicated to safeguarding the property and safety of the public.