Hail storm causes tens of millions of dollars damage in Fort Worth, Keller
A hail storm caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to cars and homes in Fort Worth, Keller and other Tarrant County cities, insurance officials reported.
“Some cars are so badly damaged they can’t or shouldn’t be driven,” said Chris Pilcic, State Farm Insurance spokesman.
The storm passed through North Texas Wednesday night, pounding northern Tarrant County with hail stones as large as tennis balls in some areas.
So far, 7,500 insurance claims have been filed because of the storm, and more are expected Friday, said Camille Garcia, spokeswoman for the Insurance Council of Texas. About 75% of the claims are in Tarrant County, she said.
The council doesn’t yet have an estimated dollar amount of damage because claims are still coming in. Typically, the average auto claim in Texas is $4,400 and the average home claim is $11,700.
“We’re seeing a lot of absolutely devastated vehicles, between the front windshield and back windows and water intruding into the vehicles and potentially impacting the electrical systems,” Garcia said. “We can see those numbers increasing more.”
Many homeowners also are reporting damaged roofs, skylights and shattered windows, she said.
One company, Accuweather, a weather business forecasting firm, said the ultimate damage from the Wednesday night hail storm could be much higher nationwide — $3.5 billion including damage in North Texas, the San Antonio area and Norman, Okla. That estimate includes “total damage and economic loss” related to the storm, the firm reported.
Repairing hail-damages homes and autos
Residents are urged to follow their insurance agent’s guidance on getting repairs made, and not rely on strangers who stop by and offer unsolicited help, Pilcic said.
The pandemic, which required businesses to find more ways to do business virtually rather than face-to-face, has dramatically improved insurance companies’ ability to handle claims online and by phone, rather than requiring policy holders to take their car to a claims center.
“We’re handling as much of this damage as we can virtually,” Pilcic said. “With your smart phone and some spare change (to help photograph and measure the size of hail dents) you can send the information to a claims specialist. If you have auto transfer set up, we can get you the funds to start repairs.”
Last year, State Farm paid $474 million in claims for hail damage in Texas, the highest in the United States.
Last year, 56,000 hail claims were filed statewide, Pilcic said.
