North Texas tornado outbreak caused $2 billion in losses, the costliest in state history

Insurance Journal
Fri, 25 Oct 2019 17:44 UTC

© Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP

Damage to Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana church, bottom, on Walnut Hill and homes behind it is seen in an aerial view of tornado damage on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Dallas.

The nine tornadoes that hit the Dallas, Texas-area over the weekend have caused an estimated $2 billion in damage, an insurer trade group says, making it the costliest tornado loss in Texas history.

The Insurance Council of Texas noted that the previous highest tornado-related loss occurred as the result of the Garland/Rowlett tornado of Dec. 26, 2015, which caused insured losses of $1.2 billion dollars. Sunday's tornadoes, however, extended over a wider geographic span impacting a variety of homes and commercial property, the ICT said.

Commercial and business losses are still being estimated but ICT said it is thought that more than 30,000 auto and home claims will be filed as a result of the Oct. 20 tornado outbreak.

Clean up has already started in many areas to remove debris and damaged vehicles.

The insurance industry mobilized claims operations centers in the field with Farmers, State Farm and USAA meeting customers in the Lowes parking lot on Forest Lane and Inwood Road while Allstate and Nationwide set up mobile operations on Forest and 635. Both mobile centers provide another way for customers to file claims and ask questions about the claims process.

As roadways became passable, insurance agents and claims adjusters began inspecting homes and assessing damages. In many cases, adjusters were also providing preliminary additional living expense payments to customers giving some relief for residents needing temporary housing and clothing.

The strongest tornado Sunday hit the heavily populated north Dallas area, where the EF3 twister had peak winds of 140 mph and was on the ground for more than 15 miles.

The other Texas tornadoes had wind speeds ranging from 80 mph to 135 mph.

Four people died late Sunday and early Monday in storms in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Source: ICT, Associated Press

Comment: Major damage reported in Dallas after powerful overnight tornado: UPDATE - Four killed

The Dallas tornadoes are expected to be the 11th billion-dollar weather disaster of 2019 reports the Weather Channel:

Ten other weather disasters have caused at least $1 billion in damage in the U.S. so far in 2019, according to a government report released earlier in October.

© NOAA

Among those billion-dollar weather disasters in the first nine months of the year were a pair of landfalling tropical cyclones, NOAA said in its findings. Severe weather, drought and river flooding also made the list.

Not including Sunday's Dallas tornadoes, the U.S. has endured a total of 254 billion-dollar weather disasters inflicting a combined $1.7 trillion (USD 2019) in damage in records going back to 1980.

Of those 254 events, 65 have occurred in the last five years. That's more than twice as many per year as the annual average since 1980. Inflation doesn't explain the increase because the figures are inflation-adjusted.