CAT Storm X Simulation Recap

CAT Storm X demonstrated the IAA CAT Response Team's ability to:

• Respond to major catastrophe events in two major geographical regions at once.

• Scale and coordinate vehicle recovery quickly through the IAA Tow Network.

• Implement a flexible real estate strategy proactively to accommodate tens of thousands of impacted vehicles.

• Stand up temporary operations for the IAA Raleigh (NC) branch and title center damaged in a pop-up tornado.

• Drive down cycle times by completing IAA Inspection Services® in less than one day, on average.

• Process vehicle titles in the most efficient method available and clear units for sale swiftly.

The Scenario

CAT Storm X simulated two concurrent storm events affecting Texas and the Carolinas, while activating response operations across Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. Cross-functional groups within the IAA CAT Response Team met daily - often multiple times per day - to evaluate changing conditions, adjust plans of action and coordinate operations for the pre-landfall, landfall and recovery phases. Developed in coordination with our weather technology partner, StormGeo, and with insurance carrier partners actively participating, the simulation followed every phase of a catastrophe event, from the initial weather alert through vehicle recovery, inspections, title processing and vehicle sales.

The exercise was intentionally designed to test the unexpected. CAT Storm X also introduced unexpected operational disruptions throughout the exercise to mirror the realities of a major catastrophe event. Each challenge required rapid decision-making, cross-functional coordination and immediate action to keep operations moving.

From Forecast to Landfall

The exercise began with a forecast alert for severe weather expected to make landfall near the Galveston, TX, coast, while the Carolinas storm was expected to make landfall near Charleston, SC, as a strong tropical storm.

The IAA CAT Response Team deployed proactively, ensuring that personnel, equipment, and cross-functional resources were in place before either storm made landfall, allowing operations to scale immediately as vehicle assignments increased.

The following day, the Texas storm had made landfall near Galveston and was forecasted to stall and continue heavy rainfall around Houston, while the Carolinas storm had moved inland through North Carolina and was producing major rainfall and flooding concerns.

The simulation then expanded from storm-response activities into downstream operational stress. On day three, the IAA Raleigh (NC) branch and title center were hit by a tornado, with extensive damage, loss of roof at the title center, damaged equipment, and multiple employees unable to report onsite due to personal storm impacts. The tornado forced teams to activate contingency plans, reroute work, expand temporary capacity and restore operations while continuing to process vehicles and prepare for auction.

The response team demonstrated flexibility by dynamically reallocating staff and resources between locations, particularly in response to changing storm conditions and the unexpected tornado impact in Raleigh, which required rapid establishment of temporary operations and redistribution of support across multiple business units.

Scaling Execution

By the time the severe weather had cleared, our participating insurance carrier partners had relayed 27,500 simulated vehicle assignments across Texas, the Carolinas and Louisiana. As those vehicle assignments increased, the IAA CAT Response Team rapidly expanded operations across transportation, inspections, title processing and real estate.

• Transportation - Internal resources and IAA Tow Network trucks activated quickly to support vehicle recovery in the affected markets. Teams staged equipment based on simulation forecasts and carrier assignment locations, achieving a simulated 99.2% on-time performance in Texas and 97.9% in the Carolinas while maintaining the flexibility to shift resources as conditions evolved.

• Inspections - IAA Inspection Services® teams completed 18,700 inspections with an average inspection cycle time of less than one day, consistent with IAA's response during Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024. During the exercise, the team also strengthened inspection workflows by integrating flood-line images into condition reports and enhancing waterline photo reviews to support virtual inspections during flood events.

• Title Processing - As the simulation shifted into document processing and auction readiness, title operations quickly scaled to support increasing vehicle volumes. Following the simulated tornado in Raleigh, teams established temporary operating models and expanded digital title processing through eTitle, IAA Loan Payoff® and IAA Title Procurement™ to keep vehicles moving to auction.

• Real Estate - Real estate teams leveraged IAA's flexible capacity model to activate more than 130 acres across six CAT locations, creating the space needed to receive and process increased vehicle volumes. The team also secured additional acreage near impacted markets, including Ritchie Bros. locations, allowing operations to stay nimble and adapt as conditions changed. Following the simulated tornado in Raleigh, title center employees temporarily relocated to a Ritchie Bros. facility while crews established temporary offices, highlighting how IAA and Ritchie Bros. work together as part of RB Global to maintain business continuity when every hour counts.

Stress-Testing in Real Time

Most importantly, every simulated disruption was identified, escalated and resolved without a simulated customer SLA breach.*

Team & Partner Contributions

The CAT Storm X simulation succeeded because teams across IAA, RB Global, external vendors and partners worked as one. RB Global support was evident through shared personnel, equipment resources and site coordination, particularly in scaling staffing, equipment staging, and real estate capacity across impacted markets. Leaders remained actively involved throughout the simulation, facilitating rapid decision-making, resource allocation, cross-team alignment and accountability.

Both internal teams and external vendors played critical roles in implementing the response. Internal contributors across all areas of the organization demonstrated coordinated execution. External service providers enabled rapid scaling and recovery efforts.

We also want to give a special note of thanks to our participating insurance carrier partners, who provided ongoing feedback and alignment throughout the event. Overall, the simulation highlighted the importance of integrated teamwork and reinforced the value of strong partner ecosystems in delivering an effective, scalable CAT response.

*Simulation Disclaimer: CAT Storm X is a hypothetical catastrophe-response exercise. All weather events, locations, vehicle assignments, cycle times, performance percentages, SLA calculations, and other metrics presented in this article and accompanying graphics are simulated for training, preparedness, and informational purposes only. These figures are not based on actual events and do not represent guaranteed outcomes. Real catastrophe events are highly variable and unique to that particular event. Each event and response depends on a multitude of factors, and therefore, actual results may differ materially.