Be Ready to Scale: 5 Strategies for Proactive CAT Claims Management in 2026

Proactive planning for CAT events by insurance carriers is crucial for successfully managing increasingly unpredictable and high-volume claims, fulfilling obligations to policyholders, and protecting financial stability. 

In the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study, the rise in severe storms and high-severity claims has increased both the average claim cycle from filing to finished repairs to 32.4 days. In addition, the average cycle time from First Notice of Loss (FNOL) to final payment increased to 44 days—the longest since 2008 when the study began. 

“Customers are, in essence, paying higher prices for slower service,” said Mark Garrett, director of insurance intelligence at J.D. Power. “The average claimant does not receive final payment on a claim until 44 days after the first notice of loss, and unless insurers are communicating frequently and clearly along the way, customer satisfaction suffers.” 

Handling claims efficiently (particularly during a catastrophic event) is a prime opportunity to set yourself apart and build customer loyalty.  

2026 Severe Weather Projections 

For the 2026 hurricane season (June-November), Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) projects 13 to 19 named storms, with 3 to 5 hurricanes potentially reaching Category 3, 4 or 5. And that doesn’t even touch on the number of unnamed storms and other CAT events that are always more prevalent in the Spring. 

If you’re a claims manager, you need to be ready for that influx of CAT claims and have a partner in place to act as frontline support for all claims when they’re needed. 

5 Strategies for Proactive CAT Claims Management  

Insurance carriers need to take multi-faceted approach that combines ALL the following elements: 

1. Be Ready to Scale. Don’t get caught scrambling for support when a CAT event is happening. Especially if you have a skeleton crew or no internal staff, you can prepare now by having an external resource ready to go. Our Davies team is equipped to handle both CAT and daily claims, so we can step in to help your team when you need to accommodate a claims surge. Whether it’s the entire process or only part of it, we can customize our services to meet your immediate needs. 
2. Pre-Event Planning. Develop comprehensive disaster response plans, straightforward communication protocols and regular training exercises to ensure readiness. Our team conducts a large-scale CAT event simulation each year, with the most recent being for the aftermath of a major earthquake. The goal for these is to pressure-test every part of a response strategy and identify ways to improve before a real disaster hits.
3. Technology Integration. Leverage digital platforms, mobile applications and data analytics to streamline claims processing, enhance communication and allocate resources quickly. For younger customers in particular, satisfaction is higher among those who can use digital tools to file a claim and receive proactive updates. 
4. Collaboration. Working across your internal teams and external vendors is essential for an efficient and coordinated response.  Make sure structured communication channels and points of contact have already been determined. 
5. Clear & Consistent Communication. Keeping policyholders updated throughout the claims process is key to maintaining satisfaction and trust. According to the J.D. Power report, overall satisfaction scores are more than twice as high when customers say it is very easy to communicate with their insurer. Our field team helps ensure timely communication by using our tech platforms to provide real-time inspection and detailed reporting to your designated contacts.  

CAT Claims Management & Guidance 

By partnering with our nationwide Field Services team, you can access the adjusters, expertise, technology and resources needed to successfully handle CAT events. 

We have more than 6,000 property field adjusters, 500 of them active CAT adjusters and now handle flood with 700+ NFIP certified flood adjusters. We cover all 50 states and offer 24/7/365 FNOLs.  

Learn more about how we can help your organization prepare for the unexpected—get in touch.