The association of state insurance commissioners, including those on the East Coast who have been busy since the Aug. 23 earthquake and who could become busier with Hurricane Irene’s aftermath, has cancelled its summer national meeting.

The quarterly meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners was scheduled for Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 in Philadelphia, Pa., one of the areas affected by the 5.9 magnitude earthquake and where Hurricane Irene could cause flooding and wind damage.

More than 1,500 insurance regulators, industry representatives and interested parties had registered to attend the conference, according to the NAIC, which represents the 50 states’ insurance regulators.

“In evaluating the potential threat of Hurricane Irene, our decision to cancel the meeting was informed by considering the safety of all attendees and members,” said Susan E. Voss, NAIC president and Iowa insurance commissioner.

In addition to the possible regulatory issues for East Coast commissioners, travel across the country to the East Coast could have been difficult, given that airlines were already canceling weekend flights because of the hurricane.