Kentucky’s April Hail Storm Cost Insurers $175 Million: Verisk

A major hail storm in April in Kentucky is estimated to have caused $175 million in insured losses and damages when balls of ice as large as baseballs battered cars and homes and knocked out power to thousands. The PSC unit of Verisk Analytics said the estimate of $175 million is only insured losses. Electricity was knocked out for an estimated 5,000 residences during the April 28 storm and baseball-sized hail was reported.

Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance by itself had more than $37 million in claims after the storm. “Out of that afternoon hail storm, we’re at nearly 11,000 claims,” said spokesman Greg Kosse, noting that was equal to the number of claims all 14 Kentucky Farm Bureau offices across the state see in a month. The Farm Bureau said the damage was about $25 million in property losses and auto claims totaled about $12 million.