CQ Homeland Security

Robert. W. O'Brien, managing director of Marsh's National Property Claims, said "2004 and 2005 were really wake-up calls for businesses and people along the coastal areas."

That heightened sense of alert has extended from the most vulnerable areas of Florida and the Gulf Coast up to the Northeast, O'Brien said.

"I think people here in New York are asking 'What will happen?' And something will happen," he said. But he also cautioned against using Katrina as a blueprint for dealing with storms. "Every storm absolutely has lessons, and we learn from all of them, but you don't want to create a plan to deal with the last storm."

"One of the things we advise our clients to do is meet with the insurance company before an event, so there are no surprises," Ken Giambagno, global leader of Marsh Risk Consulting's Forensic Accounting and Claims Services Practice.