What’s New: In Brief (September 07, 2007)

Allstate Insurance Company of Canada has donated $1,000 to the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities (APPD) as part of its Trusted Community Partner Program. Allstate Insurance Company of Canada is extremely pleased to be able to make a donation to the APPD, Roland Balallo, an Allstate agent, said in a press release.As a volunteer and a member of this community, I am fortunate to see first hand the difference that APPD makes in the lives of those who utilize the services they offer.

Researchers at Risk Management Solutions say that the high pressure system responsible for hurricanes Dean and Felix is positioned over Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, protecting the southern United States and directing the storms to the western Caribbean.The similar paths taken by the two hurricanes is a result of a persistent high pressure weather system which is usually located further northeast in the Atlantic around Bermuda, an RMS release explains.The high is currently positioned over Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, directing the tracks to the western Caribbean where Atlantic sea surface temperatures are hottest the warmth of this water intensifies any storms that pass over the area.The location of the high pressure system is currently protecting the U.S., as storm tracks are being kept further south, Robert Muir Wood, chief research officer at RMS, said in a statement.However, we are not yet halfway through the hurricane season and stable weather tends to break down during September, so there is no guarantee that the protection will remain in place.