Storm damage in Kansas adds up to $230M

The 2007 storm season in Kansas so far has accumulated about $230 million in losses of insured property and crops, most of which occurred during the month of May, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger said recently in a written statement.

"We experienced a terrible loss in Greensburg from the tornado of May 4, and then the hail and windstorms from the rest of the month just added to the devastation for Kansas," Praeger said in the official statement.

The massive EF-5 tornado that struck Greensburg on May 4 resulted in an estimated $153 million in insured property losses, the statement said.

About $73.5 million in insured property losses were incurred during the remainder of the month of May, with approximately 15,690 claims reported during the month. However, those figures do not include losses reported from the Greensburg tornado. They also do not include any estimated losses from flood damage -- losses which are covered by the National Flood Insurance Program, according to the Kansas Insurance Department statement.

Estimated insured crop wind and hail losses for May is about $3.5 million, with about 1,000 storm claims reported during that month, the statement said.

More information regarding the number of claims and estimated amount of claims can be found on the Kansas Insurance Department Internet site, www.ksinsurance.org, under the Kansas Estimated Storm Losses link.

"I want to remind Kansans that our Consumer Assistance Division is here to offer free assistance when there are questions or concerns about any insurance claims," Praeger added.

The Kansas Insurance Department's toll-free hotline number is (800) 432-2484.