Real Estate Strategy Covers Cat-Prone Areas

Hard to believe that hurricane season officially begins in less than two weeks. At IAA, preparation for catastrophes is ongoing and continuous. That means every day, throughout the year, our organization is working to make our already industry-leading CAT response even better. 

As our tagline says: We prepare. We respond. We are ready. Our constant planning and preparation ensure we hit the ground running. That helps make the difficult process of recovering from a catastrophe as seamless and pain free for you and your customers as possible. 

When it comes to one of nature’s largest and most damaging disasters—hurricanes—IAA has long understood that a flexible real estate strategy is key to a successful CAT response. Despite their often-massive size, hurricanes can be unpredictable. They may flirt with the coastline for hundreds of miles before they finally make landfall. We have seen that repeatedly in the 40 years IAA has been responding to hurricanes. Our flexible real estate strategy—with thousands of available acres at IAA branches, dedicated CAT yards, and optioned sites—is the best way to locate IAA land close to the most devastated areas, no matter where they happen to be. 

The closer we are to where your customers need your services, the quicker we pick up their vehicles and get them processed and sold. The faster we do that, the more satisfied you and your customers are. That proximity also comes in handy if your customers need to retrieve something from their vehicles. It means more convenience and efficiency for your employees. Our well-placed, safe CAT sites put them closer to them, which is critical to providing the best customer experience possible during the most difficult of circumstances. 

For a better understanding of IAA’s flexible real estate strategy, just take a look at this short new video of IAA’s Catastrophe Response Map.  

It shows you every hurricane landfall site in the past 10 years, and where IAA’s branches, dedicated CAT yards, and optioned sites are in the region. As you can see, we have every one of those landfall sites surrounded. With so much acreage and so many great options, IAA can provide accessibility and proximity to you, your employees and your customers no matter where catastrophe strikes. That is critical to helping them—and the communities where they live—get back to normal faster.   

Of course, real estate is one key part of our industry-leading catastrophe response. To learn more about IAA’s CAT response, check out the strategy briefs – they focus on the other aspects of a successful CAT response. 

IAA also monitors the seasonal hurricane forecast to help anticipate resource needs. At our Industry Leadership Summit in March, Dr. Phil Klotzbach, a Research Scientist with Colorado State University’s Department of Atmospheric Science, took a preliminary look at the 2022 season. He expects another above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, with 19 named storms versus the average of 14. Check out the full forecast.

As always, stay healthy and safe. Thank you for your business. And we’ll see you next time! 

Steve Muscarello, 
Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer, IAA 

View IAA’s forward-looking statements