San Antonio hailstorms losses reach $1.9bn

Auto and homeowner losses from San Antonio’s three hailstorms continue to build up, with insured losses reaching $1.9 billion, according to The Insurance Council of Texas (ICT).

However, according to ICT, this figure does not take into account any commercial losses such as schools, grocery stores, retail outlets or office buildings, which could place the total insured losses well over $2 billion.

The first hailstorm in San Antonio on April 12 has become the costliest hailstorm in Texas history, and was followed by two more storms in the same month, according to Mark Hanna, a spokesperson for ICT.

The hailstorm on April 12 first hit northwest Bexar County in Helotes, producing 4.5 inch hail. The storm then moved east/southeast crossing over north and eastern San Antonio.

On April 25 and 29, the city was hit by two more hailstorms.

Paul Yura, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New Braunfels, said the second storm travelled northward across the city, while the third storm took the same path as the first storm. All three storms resulted in damage to 136,000 automobiles and 125,000 homes.

According to ICT, the entire state has experienced severe storms and flooding this year. Hailstorms in Fort Worth and Plano in March resulted in $1.3 billion in insured losses. An April 11 hailstorm in Wylie also caused $300 million in insured losses.

Hanna said: “Hail fell somewhere in Texas on 20 days in April and 25 days in the month of May. Our continuing round of severe thunderstorms has also unleashed a record amount of rainfall that has resulted in major flooding in many parts of the state.”

Several insurance companies have already handled more wind and hail claims this year than all of last year, according to ICT.