Thousands in St. Louis Area Claim Hail Damage

The number of insurance claims resulting from the damaging hail storm that struck the St. Louis region in late April could top 100,000. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the region’s two largest insurance companies alone, State Farm and American Family, have fielded about 60,000 claims combined.

On April 28, strong storms swept through the area, and a wind gust knocked over a party tent at a downtown St. Louis bar, killing one man and injuring 100. Most of the region avoided wind damage, but not hail. Baseball-sized hail left pockmarks on cars and caused roofs to leak in some places, such as Maryland Heights.

Body shops are backed up for weeks, and contractors are going door-to-door in some neighborhoods. Officials also are warning homeowners to watch out for scams.