CALIFORNIA, USA — Over the past 30 days, State Farm alone has received more than 7,700 home and auto claims from across the state. They say 1,000 of those were made in just two days this week when a break in the weather finally gave people an opportunity to look at the damage
Here's what business and home owners need to know if planning on filing for insurance claims, and why you don't want to wait.
People in the Valley and Foothills to the Sierra’s and beyond have seen their properties damaged. From cracked roofs in Grass Valley or downed trees in Camino to buildings being completely destroyed in Pollock Pines, insurance is on people's minds.
Marlene Ruth from Ruth's Dolls, which was destroyed after snow weighed down on and eventually collapsed the roof, says it took up her entire day just to start the insurance claim process.
An unprecedented number of insurance claims have been submitted from California after nearly three months of being battered by storms, according to State Farm.
“Those [claims] range from damage due to snow, water intrusion in the home because of basement flooding. We've seen high winds, hail damage," said Heather Paul from State Farm.
The insurance company is expecting claims to continue to come in as forecasts call for more rain.
Many people tell ABC10 they had to wait for the water to recede, for the snow to melt just to see the extent of the damage.
"This is not a usual claim volume to see high winds and hail storms and things like this especially at this time in California," said Paul.
For those looking to get flood insurance ahead of more rain and the snowpack melting, you can get it through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program. It takes 30 days to kick in.
