Among the many effects of Hurricane Irene was the closure of all Atlantic City casinos and the annual summer meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) which was scheduled to convene in Philadelphia Aug. 29-Sept. 1 with 1,500 delegates.
The approaching hurricane also forced the cancellation of the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C., which was expected to draw up to 200,000 people on Sunday. The event will be rescheduled for a date in September or October.
In statement regarding the cancellation of the NAIC convention, NAIC President Susan Voss said “our decision to cancel the meeting was informed by considering the safety of all attendees and members. The first priority for all state regulators is responding to disasters and we are fully committed to assisting the states affected by this disaster.”
Therese Vaughan, CEO of the association, added that “many of our members and attendees had already decided to cancel travel plans due to their responsibilities for assisting consumers in disaster situations, as well as weather-related travel safety concerns. As the storm subsides, we will re-evaluate the priorities and establish next steps for conducting business.”
