Kansas Storm, Crop Damage Estimates Over $1B Mark

Storm and crop damage estimates in Kansas for 2011 have hit a record $ 1 billion, according to Kansas Department of Insurance (KID).

Estimates through August 2011 show $1.095 billion in estimated insured property damage and crop losses for the calendar year so far, according to Sandy Praeger, Commissioner of Insurance. The estimates are based on approximately 197,000 submitted claims.

“This is a record amount of storm-caused property damage for the state,” Commissioner Praeger said. “Our records go back to 1990, and this year’s surpasses the previous record in 1992 by $300 million. And, we still have the rest of 2011 to go.”

“Property damage from April 2011 accounted for more than half of the year’s estimate so far, at $502.5 million. During that month, Kansans filed 66,000 claims for storm damage, mostly from extensive hail and wind storms in east and south central portions of the state, according to department reports.

June property damage totaled $202 million with 43,000 claims. Wind and hail were again the major weather events causing the damage estimates.

This year’s crop damage estimates total $18 million, according to the department’s current report.