Tornado ploughs across Tenn., Ky., resulting in thousands of claims

In the aftermath of a large F-3 to F-4 tornado, hundreds of carriers and insurance agents in northern Tennessee and southern Kentucky are paying hundreds of claims.

The storm formed April 7 at about 7 p.m., touching down in three or four rural counties, and tore a swath of death and destruction that left 18 people dead and hundreds injured.

Large carriers have received thousands of claims. Both carriers and independent agents said they estimate 8,000 to 10,000 claims have been filed for home and auto damages.

Agents interviewed by Insurance Journal estimated 60 percent of the claims were homes and 40 percent autos.

The tornado blew down homes and tore off roofs along its path. Auto damage was caused by hail.

The week the tornado hit, the Salvation Army reported it was serving about 800 meals a day to homeless tornado victims in several rural counties.

The tornado tore through Dyers County, 70 miles northeast of Nashville, next to Fort Campbell, Ky., and followed the river, skipping across Christian County and scoring a direct hit on Hopkinsville, Ky.

Auto, property damaged
Independent agents in northern Tennessee and southern Kentucky said their policyholders were calling about a variety of claims and that they were being deluged with calls about damage to customers autos and property. The tornado brought with it large chunks of hail, which smashed auto windows and dented the vehicles.
Independent insurance agents in Tennessee reported fewer claims, but said 18 to 20 deaths had been caused by the storm.

Kentucky agents deluged with claims
Kentucky agents, however, said that while no deaths had occurred, they were being deluged with claims.

Hopkinsville agent Paula Shelton said that over-all Bradshaw & Co. had about 35 claims, but said it was hard to keep track because most of her customers were calling in their claims directly to the carriers.

“The tornado was supposed to be an F-3,” Shelton said, “but we have had an F-4 before and this looks like the same amount of devastation we had then.”

Shelton said in Hopkins County, tornadoes usually follow the river. This tornado moved up the river and then jumped into several nearby rural areas, including the towns of Ashley, Mansfield, Newburn, Bradford and Rutherford.

White & Associates Insurance Agency personal lines office manager, Kim Whitson, said the tornado missed Dyersburg, Tenn., but tore up rural areas where numerous homes are located in built-up neighborhoods.

Dyersburg has 30,000 to 35,000 residents, not including the county itself. Whitson said her firm had about 150 claims, mostly at homes. She said hail accompanying the storm caused a lot of auto damages. In many of her claims, both a residence and autos were destroyed.

“The biggest problem was that either people heard the warning, but did not react, or did not hear it. I don’t know which,” Whitson explained.

The tornado hit the town on April 9 night, between 7 and 9 p.m., destroying more than 100 residences and totally destroying a church.

North of Hopkinsville, 28 people were injured, but there were no deaths. The area encountered some hail, but that wasn’t widespread. Agents said hail can be terrible when it hits.

Rural areas hardest hit
Tom Murphy, owner of the Harbor Insurance Agency in Hopkinsville, Ky., said the tornado struck the northern part of Christian County.

“Because the tornado hit a rural area, the numbers were not that tremendous,” Murphy explained. “We have about a dozen claims, two are total losses and one was very significant.”

Murphy said most of his policyholders had to call his agency directly to make claims. He estimated there were about 100 claims in the area.

Murphy said he expects Harbor to have to pay out from $700,000 to $800,000 in property damage claims.

Lesa Petty, office manager of Tatum, Hester and Burkhead, said the agency, also in Hopkinsville, had 81 claims, of which 60 were houses and the rest were auto. Petty said most residences hit by the tornado suffered major damages.

Dyersburg, Tenn. only had a little damage. Local agents reported only a few minor claims, with shingles torn off roofs. A spokesperson for Bradshaw & Co. said tornado warnings were issued, but that they never saw them at all and had only encountered high winds.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Auto Agencies Claims Windstorm Tennessee Kentucky