Insurance companies are bringing in reinforcements to handle a wave of claims arising from the weekend storms and tornadoes that knifed through North Carolina.
State Farm Insurance, which has 380,796 homeowner policies in the state, is bringing in 30 or so members from its national catastrophe team and will add more if needed.
As of Monday morning, the insurer already had logged in 1,200 homeowner claims and 450 auto claims stemming from the storms and tornadoes. Nationwide Insurance reported 1,099 homeowner claims and 667 auto claims; a company spokeswoman said more than 300 staffers are working on claims.
"We go in and handle the most severe claims first," said State Farm spokeswoman Kim Conyers.
Allstate Insurance has set up a mobile claims center in the parking lot of the hhgregg store at 6180 Capital Blvd. in North Raleigh. The center will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
"It makes it convenient for customers to get to us quickly," said spokeswoman April Eaton. Policyholders also can file claims by phone or online at the company's website.
In addition to having adjusters on the ground, "technology allows us to have hundreds of off-site adjusters responding to customers with claims," Eaton said. "Some claims need to be handled in the field, while others can be handled over the phone."
Time needed uncertain
Insurers refrained from pinpointing how long it will take before claims representatives are able to conduct all the necessary property inspections.
"That's difficult to say," Conyers said. "We will get to them as quickly as we can."
Losses from tornadoes, windstorms and hail are typically covered by homeowner, renter or commercial insurance policies, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. Storm-related damage to cars typically is under the comprehensive coverage in auto insurance policies.
Insurers said it's still too early to assess the total amount of property damage caused by the storms.
"We're seeing everything from a few shingles missing (to) homes that would be deemed uninhabitable," said Nationwide spokeswoman Elizabeth Stetzer.
Because the path of a tornado is narrow, however, the damage is scattershot.
"You will have one house look perfect and the next house is (down) to the ground," Stetzer said. "It is different from a hurricane, where the wind force, the path, is much wider."
