More than 70,000 claims now filed from May tornadoes in Oklahoma

The number of insurance claims filed in Oklahoma after severe tornado events in May is up to 70,782, the state’s insurance commissioner reported Tuesday.

Insurance payments from the events also reached $561,976,781 as of Tuesday, according to the Oklahoma Insurance Department.

More than 17,000 homeowners claims have been filed from the May 19 and May 20 tornadoes, and more than 21,000 auto claims have been made.

Following tornadoes on May 30 and May 31, 16,626 homeowners claims and  more than 10,000 personal auto claims have been filed.

Commercial losses were much lower, at 993 property claims and 457 auto claims from the earlier events. The later tornadoes led to about 1,500 commercial property claims and 306 commercial auto claims.

“These numbers are more proof of the dramatic impact the tornadoes had on our state,” Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak noted in a release.

“Thousands of Oklahomans are now in the process of rebuilding their lives. Insurance can help them do that and I am glad to see that so many of the victims were insured,” he said.

“But the claims process can be complicated. My office is ready to assist consumers in any way possible,” he added.

On June 14, the Insurance Department posted a bulletin to the state’s licensed public adjusters advising them not to charge a fee that’s more than 10% of the total gross claim settlement.

The department said it would also be monitoring all fees charged by public adjusters, especially ones that “appeared excessive.”

“The Department expects that all public adjusters will act in a professional and responsible manner with due consideration toward the hardships and disruptions being experienced by  property owners affected by the recent storms,” the bulletin reads.

“The Department cautions public adjusters to refrain from charging fees that do not reasonably reflect the actual amount of adjusting services being provided,” it also says.