Insurance claims spike after storms cause damage in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been changed to remove references to an insurance claim by Trinity Lutheran School in 2019. The school did not make an insurance claim after the 2019 tornado.

Severe storms caused damage across Missouri this week, and now, insurance companies say they're dealing with a large number of claims.

State Farm spokesperson Dave Phillips said there have been around 1,700 claims in Missouri this week. Nationally, he said State Farm has received more than 12,000 claims this week.

Most have been for wind or hail damage.

"When things get from the hundreds into the thousands, that starts to indicate a significant amount of damage and number of claims, number of individuals that have been impacted," Phillips said.

Trinity Lutheran School in Jefferson City is one of many places starting the claims process. The Rev. Sam Powell said staff woke up Tuesday to find strong winds had caused damage to the school's playground. A shade structure had been blown off the concrete, fences were knocked down and large trees fell across the playground equipment.

In the meantime, a fence was put up to keep students out of the area with damage. Powell said trustees have reached out to their insurance company to start a conversation, but there is no cost estimate yet for the damage.

"We're still piecing together exactly how that will work and whether or not we'll file a full claim," Powell said.

Trinity Lutheran isn't new to filing insurance claims. Powell said they had to file a claim after a fire destroyed part of its building in 2023.

"The congregation, the kids, our teachers and staff are incredibly resilient," Powell said. "We know, well, it's just something that we have to do."

State Farm said people making insurance claims need to:

• Document the damage;
• Talk to their insurer as soon a possible; and
• Keep receipts for any fixes.

"If you can do temporary repairs, such as there's a hole in the roof, that type of thing, tarps or emergency repairs, save those receipts. They may be reimbursable for you," Phillips said. "You don't want to have more of a loss following the loss that you just went through."

Phillips said people are encouraged to review their insurance policy annually to make sure everything is up to date. People should know the value of what they own and have comprehensive vehicle coverage. He also said flood coverage is a separate policy, so that will need to be purchased if someone lives in a flood area.

"Life events change, circumstances within the home change, so that should sort of be a rule of thumb to just take a look at that or have a conversation with your insurance company or your agent," Phillips said.

Now that tornadoes, floods and severe storms have made their way out of Mid-Missouri for the time being, the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance has tips for how people can limit future damage for the rest of storm season.

• Install impact-resistant windows.
• Leave windows closed in a storm. Open windows cause the inside of a home to become pressurized, allowing air in that then pushes off the house until it collapses.
• Brace the garage door. Buy products to brace a garage door and make it more wind-resistant, or put a vertical brace into the wall like a boarded-up window.
• Install wind-resistant roof items. This can include hurricane clips, which the state department said work well in tornado-prone areas.

State Farm also recommends trimming down any dead limbs and parking in the garage and moving outdoor furniture inside when a storm is expected to blow through.

The Better Business Bureau is also warning people to be wary of contractors going door-to-door, saying there have been reports of people offering help and then leaving with the customer's money. The BBB said to contact insurance providers directly and research contractors before deciding on a business for cleanup.