ATLANTA — State leader say Tropical Storm Irma caused at least $336 million in damage across Georgia.
So far, 56,000 insurance claims have already been filed.
One state leader told Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant that both those numbers will almost certainly go up as more damage claims here in DeKalb’s Echo Lake neighborhood and around the state keep coming in.
“We expect insurance companies to invest the resources that they need to in paying claims,” Deputy Insurance Director Jay Florence said. “It’s very important that they send the right number of adjusters and staff to help address the problems of folks here in Georgia.”
Thursday, the state reported an initial estimate of more than $336 million in insurable losses from Irma.
“We expect this to be as significant as Hurricane Matthew by the time the dust settles,” Florence told Diamant.
Last year, Matthew cost insurance companies in Georgia more than a half-billion dollars.
With this year’s active hurricane season across the southeast and the widespread damage done, Diamant asked State Farm’s Justin Tomczak about the potential impact on insurance rates.
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“Over the long-term if you saw a consistent trend, either upwards or downwards in the amount of claims, that would have an impact on rates, but it’s impossible to say that one specific storm or back to back storm would have any sort of impact. It’s a long-range process,” Tomczak told Diamant.
Tomczak said despite Irma's devastating impact, insurance companies generally expect and are prepared to handle these kinds of catastrophes.
[PHOTOS: Tropical Storm Irma leaves trail of damage in Georgia]
“This storm did not catch us by surprise. It was not unprecedented in its size, and we’re ready to take care of it and we’ll be ready for the next one,” Tomczak said,
That $336 million figure came in just the first of 15 rounds reporting periods for insurance companies in Georgia.
The state told Diamant that Irma's impact could be as expensive as Hurricane Matthew last year that did a half billion dollars in damage along the Georgia coast.
Our team of five Severe Weather Team 2 meteorologists tracked the storm for several days straight as it made its way through Florida and into Georgia.
Irma brought strong wind gusts of up to 70 mph in some parts of Georgia.
Hundreds of flights were canceled at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Cox Media Group
