Hail insurance claims in 2014 climbed in Missouri and fell in Kansas

Missouri saw a big jump in the number of hail-related claims on home and auto insurance policies in 2014, according to figures compiled by State Farm.

State Farm, one of the nation’s largest providers of home and auto insurance, said in a report this week that policyholders in Missouri last year filed more than three times the hail-related claims they filed in 2013.

With 23,019 combined home and auto hail claims, the state ranked fourth, compared with a ranking of 14th in 2013, State Farm said.

Kansas was 10th in 2014 with 11,562 property claims. That’s down from 16,992 claims in 2013, when the state ranked eighth.

State Farm said damage to homes and cars from hail cost its policyholders more than $2.4 billion last year. The most hail damage claims filed by the insurer’s customers were in Texas, Illinois and Colorado.

To minimize hailstorm damage to your car or home, State Farm recommends:

▪ Prune trees to remove diseased, damaged or dead limbs.

▪ If a storm is forecast, park your car in a garage or under a carport.

▪ If you must leave your car outside, cover your vehicle with a thick blanket or a specially designed car cover to minimize hail’s impact.

This story was originally published April 10, 2015 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Hail insurance claims in 2014 climbed in Missouri and fell in Kansas."