Kansas Storm Damage Insurance Claims Set Record

Spring and summer storms in Kansas have led to more than $1 billion in insurance claims this year.

The Kansas Department of Insurance reported that the 197,000 claims have been filed for property and crop damage. The numbers do not include losses from flooding.

That easily beats the state record of $700 million paid in 1992 for 365,500 claims. The Wichita Eagle reports that about $18 million of the claims were for crop damage, with the rest of property damage.

More than half of the damage was from wind and hail storms in east and south-central parts of the state last April.

Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger predicted insurance premiums are likely to rise in response to the high number of claims.