RMS opens new Florida Office

RMS, a global catastrophe risk management firm, has opened a new office in Tallahassee, Florida after the acquisition of HWIND Scientific in October 2015.

Florida is a key region for the hurricane risk industry, and Tallahassee is a pivotal location for state and local government agencies. The new Florida office gives RMS better access to the public sector and commercial partners, as well as research specialists and graduates at the state’s universities.

Mark Powell, founder of HWIND and vice president of model development at RMS, said: “The establishment of an RMS office in Tallahassee makes RMS the only risk modelling organisation with a physical presence in the state of Florida. Accounting for over 14 percent of all US insured catastrophe losses from 1985 to 2014, Florida has proven to be one of the most imortant marketplaces in the global hurricane risk and insurance industry.

“This new office provides RMS’ specialists with direct access to the key agencies that operate here, allowing the team to better serve our clients.”

Founded in April 2014, HWIND provides real-time analysis for hurricanes, post-event windfield reconstruction footprints and an archive of historical wind products for hurricanes in the Western North Atlantic, Eastern Pacific and Central Pacific Ocean.

RMS’s acquisition of HWIND in October further strengthens the firm’s scientific research capabilities and creates opportunities for RMS to develop new hurricane solutions for clients. The new Florida office brings the RMS and HWIND teams together allowing them to increase efficiency through a secure and direct collaboration.