Wind and Hail Impacted Abilene and North Texas the Most in 2011

IRVING, Texas, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hail and wind impacted more Allstate insured homes in the Abilene area and North Texas than in any other part of the state last year. Allstate tallied the top 25 stormiest counties, with a minimum of at least 5,000 Allstate policies, in Texas by looking at the areas with the highest frequencies of wind and hail related homeowner property damage claims for Allstate in 2011. Taylor County, home to Abilene, led the list, but 12 North Texas counties, including Dallas and Tarrant, placed among the top 25.

Rankings
The number of hail and wind related homeowner insurance claims increased 45% overall in Texas among Allstate Insurance customers last year. The Abilene area saw the sharpest increase, with claims jumping 1866% when comparing 2010 to 2011, according to Allstate. The Dallas-Fort Worth area saw the second highest increase, with claims spiking 157%. 

While the Abilene and North Texas areas were the stormiest on the list for 2011, Smith  County in East Texas topped the list in 2010, demonstrating that few, if any areas of Texas are safe from severe weather.  

"This analysis is a comparison of 2010 and 2011," said Jay Hansen, an Allstate agent in Abilene.  "Texas has exposure to nine different types of natural disasters, the most out of any other state in the country. It's not a question of if we're going to get severe weather here every year; it's a question of what type, when and where. That's why it's important for homeowners to be ready."

How can Texans be prepared for hail, wind, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and wildfires? Allstate recommends a few steps:

Before the Storm:   

• If you don't have an up-to-date home inventory, walk through your home with a video or still camera to create a record of what you have and where it is in your house.  You can also download an iPhone App like the Allstate Digital Locker (TM) that helps you create an inventory of your items, easily organized by room, category, or item lists, and store it right in your pocket.
• Reach out to your agent for a yearly coverage check-up,
• Review your policy with your agent to make sure your coverages meet your current needs.
• Take steps to reduce risks of damage to your property.

Storm Recovery:

• Make reasonable temporary repairs to prevent further damage. Save the receipts for temporary home repairs as these expenses may be reimbursed as part of your homeowner's policy. Your adjuster will need this information.
• Inventory your home and list damaged items before your adjuster arrives.  An inventory can help facilitate the claim process after a disaster.

About the Data
To collect the data, Allstate measured the frequency of hail and wind homeowner property claims from January through December 2010 and January through December 2011 in 45 Texas counties which all had at least 5,000 Allstate policies.  

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help nearly 16 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®. As part of Allstate's commitment to strengthen local communities, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate employees, agency owners and the corporation provided $28 million in 2011 to thousands of nonprofit organizations and important causes across the United States.

SOURCE The Allstate Corporation

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