Colorado Nears Anniversary of Its Costliest Tornado

The tornado that devastated the community of Windsor, Colorado, on May 22 of last year added up to an estimated $193.5 million in insured damage– making it Colorado’s most expensive tornado.

The claims came from approximately 24,000 auto and homeowner claims, according to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association.

The final damage total went up by about $46.5 million from an earlier damage estimate of $147 million since most claims are now settled and those affected by the tornado and hail typically have one year to file insurance claims. This estimate does not include commercial claims from businesses.

Prior to this storm, all of Colorado’s most costly storms occurred in the Denver-metro area, which is where the largest concentration of property in the state is located.

Colorado’s Top 10 Most Costly Storms:

• $625 million insured hail damage: July 11, 1990.
• $276.7 million insured hail damage: June 13-14, 1984.
• $225 million insured hail damage: October 1, 1994.
• $193.5 million insured tornado and hail damage in Windsor: May 22, 2008.
• $146.5 million insured hail damage: June 8-9, 2004.
• $128 million insured hail damage: August 11, 1997.
• $122 million in insured hail damage: May 22, 1996.
• $100 million in insured hail damage: May 30 – June 2, 1991.
• $93.3 million insured damage from heavy snow and ice: March 18-19, 2003.
• $87.8 million insured hail damage: October 16, 1998.