Mass. Tornado Claims Estimated at $175 Million

The financial toll from tornadoes that ravaged Springfield and several smaller Massachusetts communities has risen to an estimated $175 million.

The state’s Division of Insurance estimated Wednesday that residents and businesses have filed 9,500 insurance claims for damage caused by the June 1 tornadoes, making it the state’s costliest natural disaster in recent memory.

Of those claims, 5,000 were home insurance claims totaling $135 million; 3,500 were auto insurance claims totaling $20 million; and 1,000 were commercial property claims totaling $20 million.

The figures are up from the last count of 8,200 claims totaling $140 million.

The state and federal government are offering aid to for Hampden County and portions of Worcester County where the three tornadoes touched down.