A total of approximately 5,500 home and auto claims have been reported across nine states from the string of storms (date range April 26-28) as for 4:00pm CT on April 30, 2024: 

To provide the best possible service and response to customers who have damage from the tornado, the following are in place: 

• Catastrophe claims adjusters and support members are deploying and arriving on-site. Catastrophe claim teams will be actively making contact and providing initial claim handling efforts for our impacted customers with a focus on the most severe losses. Catastrophe Customer Care sites are being planned in the most impacted communities to support claim handling efforts for local residents, additional details will be shared as available.
• The 1-800-SFCLAIM line is activated and available for customers to begin the claim reporting process, should they be unable to reach their local State Farm agent. 
• State Farm policyholders who have damage can submit and manage their claim through various channels. This includes calling or emailing their State Farm agent, calling 1-800-SFCLAIM, submitting a claim through our mobile app or through our website at statefarm.com/claims. Customers may also text the word “CLAIM” to 62789 to receive a link to file a claim.

Making temporary repairs to damaged property:

When it is safe to do so, people with repairable/limited property damage should have reasonable temporary repairs made to prevent further damage to their property. Depending on your coverage, these repairs may be reimbursed. Save receipts if you purchase items such as tarps and plywood or other supplies to make repairs.   

More than 35,300 insurance claims were filed with State Farm in the week following the Laura’s landfall. Residents across Louisiana and Texas continue reporting damage to their homes and vehicles as impacted areas become more accessible. State Farm catastrophe response drone teams are assessing damage for customers across Lake Charles and other impacted areas.

Please continue to monitor local information. When it is safe to do so, make (or have a contractor make) temporary repairs to prevent further damage to your home or property. Save receipts if you purchase items such as tarps, plywood or other repair supplies. Take photos/videos of damage for claim documentation.

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

We're continuing to gear up claims resources in response to #HurricaneLaura. We're balancing health and safety with our commitment to customers, we’re working virtually and in person, practicing social distancing with protective equipment.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas.

Face-to-Face protocols, adjustments and staffing during COVID-19

• First and foremost, we are committed to the health and safety of our customers, the communities where we live and work, and our claim employees.
• Our claim operations remain open and available to service your claims. We are monitoring this changing health issue and continually evaluating our response.
• Virtual claim inspection options are available in most states if legally permitted.
• Claims can always be submitted and managed by calling or emailing your State Farm agent, calling 1-800-SFCLAIM, submitting a claim through our mobile app or through our website at statefarm.com/claims.
• Continuous innovation and adaptation have positioned State Farm as the insurance industry leader. The pandemic is a rapidly changing situation and the decisions we are making balance health concerns with our obligation to continue to serve you.

More tips and resources:

• Avoid driving if possible. If you have to travel, turn around if the road is flooded or blocked by debris.
• Stay away from downed power lines. Anything touching the power line can carry a charge. Report the downed line and avoid the area.
• Simple Insights: Hurricane disaster cleanup after the storm

In the News:

• KADN-15: State Farm Using Drones to Assess Damage (9/4/20)
• The Times-Picayune: State Farm insurance claims hit 24,800 for Louisiana homeowners after Hurricane Laura (9/1/20)
• CBS-42: Like good neighbors, Alabamians are there (8/27/20)
• WVTM-13: Hurricane Laura relief staging in Birmingham area (8/27/20)
• The Weather Channel: CAT 2 Laura Moving Inland (8/27/20)
• Houston Chronicle: Season's first hurricane gives Texans a taste of how COVID has shaped insurance claims (8/4/20)
• AccuWeather: Now is the time to prepare for hurricane season (6/1/20)

Our hearts go out to all those impacted – especially family and friends of those who lost their lives. Safety is paramount as residents assess damage and begin the recovery process.

Start the claim process as soon as possible.

Take steps to prevent further damage as soon as it is safe to do so. There are four ways to start the claim process:

1. Online at www.statefarm.com/claims
2. Use the State Farm Mobile App
3. Call 1-800-SFCLAIM
4. Contact your State Farm Agent

Hundreds of customers have already filed claims. Our local agents and call center claim specialists are already assisting customers with their most immediate needs, like additional living expenses (ALE). The State Farm Claims Catastrophe Response Team is being deployed to the most heavily impacted areas to assist in the recovery. This additional personnel includes three drone teams.

Customers with damage should:

• Inspect your property. Document damage with pictures to share with your claims specialist.
• Make temporary repairs to prevent further damage. Take pictures and save receipts for materials purchased.
• Exercise caution when selecting a contractor. Storm recovery can be emotionally and physically draining. Don’t make a quick, emotional decision without recommendations. Obtain detailed written estimates and multiple bids.

Additional insurance considerations and storm recovery tips:

Tree removal can be very expensive right now because resources are spread thin. As a reminder, insurance only pays to remove trees impacting your home, building, fences or other structures. Coverage limits may apply to debris removal coverage.

Be wary of those who might try to capitalize on the storm.

• Ask for recommendations
• Beware of door-to-door solicited repairs
• Get multiple written estimates
• Always have a written, detailed estimate
• Don’t pay up front. Always inspect the completed work before payment.
• If making repairs, consider upgraded roofing materials (upgrades could result in insurance premium discounts).

If you have experienced a power outage:

• Never use candles for emergency lighting, use flashlights.
• Disconnect any appliances, equipment or electronics that were on when the power went out. When power comes back on, it may come back with momentary “surges” or “spikes”. This can damage computers, air conditioners, refrigerators, etc. Leave one light on so you know when the power returns.
• Check to see if your homeowners policy covers damages resulting from outages. Subject to the deductible, your policy may cover spoiled food and other damages.
• Use generators safely. If you have a portable generator, only run it outdoors with adequate ventilation. Never use a generator indoors or in attached garages. The exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide, which can be deadly if inhaled.

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas. Click the image to learn more about the capabilities of this industry-leading response unit.

More tips and resources:

• Avoid driving if possible. If you have to travel, turn around if the road is flooded or blocked by debris.
• Stay away from downed power lines. Anything touching the power line can carry a charge. Report the downed line and avoid the area.
• Simple Insights:  Hurricane disaster cleanup after the storm

In the News

• CBS WINK TV (Fort Myers, Naples, FL)  Time to review you insurance coverage (08-29-19)
• NBC Ch 6 (Miami) - Are You Ready for Dorian? Get ready now (08-27-19)
• El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Spanish) Is my home insured for hurricanes? (08-26-19)

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas. Click the image to learn more about the capabilities of this industry-leading response unit.

In The News:

• WFSU -  Insurance Company Takes To The Sky After Hurricane Michael (10/17/18)
• WPTV - West Palm Beach:  Insurance companies use drones to assess storm damage for faster, easier claims process (10/18/18)
• WMBB Live in Panama Beach: The Panama City Mall parking lot has become a staging area for work crews. State Farm also has an insurance claim center set up, and mall staff say the mall is working to reopen.(10-15-18)
• WYFF-Greenville, SC:  Flood Insurance on the Rise After Florence (9/18/18)

• The Weather Channel: What to do before and after a hurricane (09/11/18)

To get the claims process started, you can file your claim online, call 1-800-SFCLAIM (800-732-5246) or contact your State Farm agent.

The State Farm Weather and Catastrophe Team is being dispatched to the hardest hit areas. Click the image to learn more about the capabilities of this industry-leading response unit.

In The News:

• Forbes: FAA OKs Long-Range Drone Flights Over Populated Areas By State Farm To Assess Florence Damage (9/19/18)

• WYFF-Greenville, SC:  Flood Insurance on the Rise After Florence (9/18/18)

• NBC29-Charlottesville: State Farm Mobile Center Readying to Roll Out of Albemarle County Office (09/14/18)

• Weather Channel: Florence coverage, Jake from State Farm dog (09/13/18)

• WUSA-Washington, DC: What's the difference between water coverage and flood coverage? (09/11/18)

• Bloomington Pantagraph: State Farm: 'Ready to respond' to Hurricane Florence (09/12/18)

• WCCB-Charlotte: State Farm Insurance Not Making Policy Changes In Light Of Hurricane Florence (09/11/18)

• The Weather Channel: What to do before and after a hurricane (09/11/18)

A hail research field study isn’t exactly anyone’s idea of romantic. Swapping candle lit dinners for life on the road chasing storms probably wouldn’t work for most couples. But Dr. Tanya Brown and Dr. Ian Giammanco are anything but conventional.

Dr. Tanya Brown is the lead research engineer and director of hail research for the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). She conducts a major field study on hailstorms with a team that includes lead research meteorologist Dr. Ian Giammanco.

In addition to their research, the pair also happens to be dating.

Giammanco and Brown met while attending graduate school at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, where they worked on several thunderstorm and hurricane field research projects. Since then, amid week-long beef jerky binges and of course the storms, Giammanco and Brown found some common ground.

The Research

IBHS develops safety research that can be translated into real world solutions, and the hail study is no exception. Giammanco and Brown seek to improve weather forecasts and influence the design of roofing products to be better prepared for hail damage.

Their hope is to leverage this study to decrease property losses caused by hail. The the work is being done in the central plain region of the United States. They study hail characteristics such as size, shape, density and hardness, so they can come as close as possible to Mother nature when they produce hailstones at the IBHS Research Center.

Love at First Hail

According to Brown, “We definitely did not have a love at first site kind of relationship. We had known each other for at least a year before we really ever had a conversation more than just saying hi while passing in the hallway.”

At the time they met, years before the hail field study had begun, they realized they both had a passion for field research.

It takes a special kind of love not only to be research partners, but also life partners. Brown explains, “I’d say our dedication to field work is what really ties us together.”

Bonded by a common goal that will eventually benefit the common good , their relationship is the perfect blend of uniqueness. “There’s not a lot of people out there that will basically give up their whole life for weeks or even months at a time to live in crummy hotels and eat fast food every meal of every day, not to mention braving the wind, hail, rain and storm surge, and actually enjoy doing it and get to do it with their significant other,” says Brown.

Benefits of the Study

The pair remains motivated; they believe in the good that this study will be able to produce. According to IBHS, as the population increases and the spacing between buildings decrease, there has been a significant uptick in damage due to hailstorms. In fact, from 1999 to 2011 hail was the number one cause of losses for Texas homeowners coming in at $10.4 billion according to The Texas Department of Insurance.

State Farm supports the work of Dr. Brown and Dr. Giammanco and believes in the good that can come from this kind of research. Besides studying hail, researchers also test hail resistant roofing material in the hopes of preventing damage. The field study also seeks to improve weather forecast models and hail detection.

Ups and Downs

But working with a loved one isn’t always easy, “we do disagree sometimes about the project, but ultimately we will arrive at what is best for the project, and that is a big reason that we’ve been so successful,” Giammanco says.

Ultimately their differences complement each other, Giammanco explains, “Tanya makes sure that I let things go when I need to so that I don’t obsess about things like a missed forecast or not enough data.”

Brown explains further, “We have worked together for so long that we really have a natural rhythm, and each take advantage of each other’s strengths. There are a lot of things I don’t have to worry about taking care of because I know he’s got my back and vice-versa. It makes us really efficient and successful.”

The most difficult part of their nomadic relationship is having them both away from home at the same time, “there’s no one there to check the mail, water and cut the grass, and most importantly, take care of my beagles,” Brown says.

But they know they are meant to be together. “Tanya is the only girl I know who would swim and wade through storm surge water to retrieve instrumentation during a field project, so she is the girl for me!” Giammanco says.

The Impact

With all the good Brown and Giammanco hoped would come out of their studying of severe weather, love was not what they expected, but they’re glad it did. Even still, they remain dedicated and focused on their work, Brown says, “We definitely push each other to achieve success and fill in each other’s gaps, which makes us well-suited to tackling such a complex issue such as hail. We’re definitely looking forward to continuing our research partnership both in the field and in the lab, and look forward to making a huge impact in the coming years.”

The more successful the study is the better educated homeowners, insurance companies, and roofing manufacturers can be. With this knowledge and combined power, hailstorm damage can hopefully fall significantly.

2013 IBHS Hail Field Project Highlights from IBHS on Vimeo.

Sadly, his small town community has faced tornadoes of historic proportions – two of those storms among the strongest ever recorded. His city, home to beautiful neighborhoods and thriving economic development, has earned the unfortunate distinction as the frequent target of killer tornadoes.

“By 2013 we were beginning to ask some questions of each other,” said Terry Cavnar, State Farm Agent and Moore City Council Member. “We can no longer ignore this. We can’t say this isn’t going to happen again because it continues to happen. So, we began to look at the options.”

In the past 15 years, the city of Moore has fallen victim to tornadoes on three separate occasions. In 1999, an EF-5 tornado swept through the community causing $1.2 billion in damage, and taking 40 lives. In 2003, an EF-4 devastated the town. Most recently in 2013, Moore faced a second EF-5, killing 24 and causing $2 billion in damage.

After each storm, Drake and other city officials were left to wonder what – if anything – they could do to better prepare their community for these catastrophic storms. After the 2013 storm, they decided to take action.

A Time To Act

The search for answers led to the formation of a special committee made up of council members, builders and citizens to re-examine building codes and ensure all new construction was best equipped to deal with extreme weather.

The committee called on Chris Ramseyer, Associate Professor-Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma to help in the planning effort. Even before the 2013 storm, Ramseyer had been studying the performances of residential structures in high-wind events and was very familiar with the city’s plight.

“I was here the next morning,” Ramseyer said of his hours following the 2013 tornado. Amongst the utter devastation, Ramseyer found what he was looking for. “We had a house with a slab essentially wiped clean. It was EF5 damage,” he said. But just seventy feet away, a home stood largely intact. The two homes were too close to have provided for much difference in wind speed, Ramseyer concluded that the structure must have saved the second home.

The committee developed their plan of attack and agreed all future homes needed to be practical, affordable and repeatable on a large scale.

“Chris looked at it from both structural integrity and also cost. The impact it would have on the cost of residential construction,” said Drake. “And I think the homebuilders bought into that, and they had confidence in him.”

Building Better AND Stronger

The result was to refine the building technique, rather than adding new materials. The new approach called for a change in the basic house framing, pushing builders and contractors to expand upon their normal approach. Longtime Moore builder, Tom Pollard notes,“ it’s not even a big cost issue, it’s just an educational process.”

“The biggest difference is in the framing,” said Cavnar. “With some more tie-ins, especially between the walls and the roofing, strengthening in your openings, framed openings, windows and doors.”

In addition to the added protection, there was more good news: The cost.

“Our research shows that you can do it for a cost of roughly a dollar a square foot,” said Ramseyer.

Drake and the committee are enthusiastic about this new approach as a means to protect, preserve and prepare the homes of Moore.

“We were ecstatic,” said Terry Cavnar. “We could do something that would withstand an F3 tornado, 135 miles an hour, for a minimal amount of cost. We were thrilled.”

And while the success of these measures will ultimately be born out in the coming tornado seasons, for now this process stands out as a great example of what can be accomplished when a community works together.

“This has been one of the easiest code changes I’ve been involved in,” said Drake. “I didn’t think that would be the case when we started this process, but it was.”