On June 13, 2012, the Dallas area was hit with what may turn out to be its costliest hail storms ever. People reported that baseball-sized hail caused damage to cars, homes, and businesses. The National Weather Service reported that the hail storms were the worst in the North Texas and Dallas area since April 2003.
Preliminary estimates indicate hundreds of millions in insured losses, but more recent numbers show insured losses reaching the $2 billion mark. “Two intense storms swept through the Dallas area in the late afternoon and lasted more than three hours,” said Jason Dunn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
As pointed out by Sandra Helin, president of the Southwestern Insurance Information Service, these storms struck right in the suburbs and moved on to an area with a significant number of historic homes. “You can’t find tiles for some of those roofs anymore,” Ms. Helin said.
The previous record for hail storm damage in Texas was $1.1 billion in 1995, according to the Insurance Council of Texas – an Austin-based industry trade group. And there seems to be little doubt that these storms will almost double that number.
If your home or business was affected by these storms, I advise you to begin your insurance claim process as soon as possible. Waiting to file “at a more convenient time” will only hurt you in the long run. I know life is busy, but reporting covered property damage should be high on you priority list.
And if you have any questions or concerns about your insurance claim process, I advise you to contact an attorney that specializes in property insurance law. An experienced attorney will be more than happy to tell you what actions you should take to ensure your home and business properties are protected.
