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21 TheSouthShoreMagazine.com The struggle this winter is real. For hundreds of thousands of people across the state, this winter has brought record snowfall, and with it, record damage to homes and properties. Craig Martin, president of The Goodale Company, which provides insurance to people across the South Shore, says this year he has processed ten times the normal number of winter claims. And it is not over yet. "We've literally reached the point where we've lost count," he says, noting that most of the claims are for damage caused by ice dams. He calls the ice dams, "an atrocious type of claim," since the damage can be so widespread throughout the home as water travels along the roofline and can enter the building in more than one place. An ice dam is a wall of ice that builds up at the edge of a roof, in and around the gutter, and prevents melting snow and other water from draining. This water backs up, often traveling along the roofline, and ends up leaking into the house, soaking the insulation, and causing water damage in ceilings, walls, and drywall. Mold also quickly grows in any wet environment and can cause problems in addition to the water damage. Martin explains that the icicles you see are indicative of an ice dam but are not the cause of the problem. He recommends knocking the icicles off the house but cautions that this does not solve the ice dam problem. There are a couple of ways to prevent ice dams and to melt the ice when the dams have already formed. Martin first encourages residents to be proactive about cleaning the snow off the roof. He says you should hire a professional at this point because, with the amount of snow we have had this year, it is dangerous to try to remove it yourself. But prevention is key: If there is no snow to leak, you are much less likely to have a problem even if there is ice. If you already have ice dams, he suggests filling pairs of pantyhose with ice melt and placing them in the gutter. This melts channels into the ice and gives the water a route to escape. The goal is to give the water a chance to drain off of your roof instead of into your home. If a resident gets to the point of starting to see leaks, Martin urges the resident to file a claim. He says people are often hesitant to file because they are concerned about non-renewal of their policy or higher rates in the future, but he predicts there will be rate increases in the next few years regardless and that, "there is no upside to eating this cost (incurred by an ice dam)." He explains that once the adjuster gets in and inspects the insulation, the drywall, and the roof, the damage is likely to be more widespread than the homeowner expects. For that reason, Martin also suggests keeping your claim open until the spring. If you close your claim too quickly and find further damage a few days or weeks later, you have to file an additional claim and restart the process. "It's such an insidious type of loss," Martin says, "I've lived in New England my whole life and spent eight winters in Vermont so I'm not a rookie, but I've never seen anything where the amount of insured losses has reached this level." These record losses for the insurance companies mean rate increases for consumers over the next few years in everything from homeowners to renters to auto insurance. "Once it starts it's a very monkey-see-monkey-do business. It's just a question of who the first kid on the block will be to do it," Martin says. He predicts the first set of rate increases to start as early as next quarter and continue for the next two years. He says that although it is often thought of in a different category, the insurance industry is a for-profit business just like any other and with losses up to ten times more than they were in previous years, the money will be made up somewhere; namely, by future consumers. In addition to ice dams, Martin has processed a significant number of claims for car accidents caused by decreased visibility thanks to the incredible snowbanks built up on every street corner. He says he always cautions people about taking left turns onto busy streets, but now it is even dangerous to take a right turn because you cannot see other cars until it is too late. Martin says he has changed his own route to work so that his turn onto Route 3A is a right turn and at a lighted intersection. Frozen pipes have also accounted for a number of claims due to the stretches of frigid temperatures. "This winter has been a killer. An absolute killer." The Goodale Company 152 King Street, Cohasset 781-383-0787 www.cohassetinsurance.com by Emily J. Reynolds what a winter