M ore than 20,000 storm-related claims have been filed this week in Tennessee with the state’s biggest insurer, and experts expect that number will grow much higher next week as cleanup continues from Wednesday’s tornadoes and wind storms.
State Farm, which insures about one of every four homes in Tennessee, is bringing in additional claims adjusters and expects today to set up temporary inspection facilities in Southeast Tennessee and other hard-hit areas of the state.
“Our first priority is taking care of our customers’ needs as quickly as possible,” State Farm Vice President Deborah Thompson said Friday.
State Farm said as of midday Friday it had already had received 8,500 claims on homeowner and business policies and another 12,500 auto insurance claims from this week’s storms in Tennessee. State Farm spokeswoman Judy McConkey Thompson said 355 Tennessee homes and businesses insured by State Farm were considered uninhabitable structures.
“We are seeing our most severe losses first and will continuing seeing losses in order of severity,” she said.