Insurers Tally Damage After Wisc. Tornadoes

Insurance companies are totaling up the damage from more than two dozen tornadoes that struck south-central Wisconsin in mid-August. Statewide, the storms resulted in one death, 30 injuries, 20-25 destroyed homes, and 200 damaged homes.

American Family Insurance of Madison, which insures about one of every four homes in Wisconsin, has $10.3 million in claims and expects that figure to increase, according to a company spokesman. So far the company has received 320 claims and is expecting total payments of $12 million.

General Casualty of Sun Prairie expects claims of $3.5 million to $5 million, according to a spokesman. State Farm Insurance of Bloomington, Ill., had no dollar estimate but said it could end up with 500 claims for damage to homes and vehicles.

Allstate Insurance Co. of Northbrook, Ill., said damage from the storm reached the company’s “catastrophe” level, which means the company anticipates claims will exceed $1 million.

Insurance payments cover policyholder expenses such as food and hotel bills for people whose homes were destroyed, as well as the total cost of homes that were ripped from their foundations during the storm.

General Casualty has received claims for about 30 homes that the tornadoes damaged. Of these 17 were in the hard-hit Stoughton area, and several of those are complete losses.

Sentry Insurance in Stevens Point has 12 homeowner claims from the storm, spokeswoman Mary Weller said.

Insurers and the state insurance commissioner’s office stated future premiums were unlikely to increase in the wake of the losses since the last several years have been relatively calm for storm damage claims in Wisconsin.

Topics Catastrophe Carriers Natural Disasters Claims Windstorm Wisconsin