15,000 claims received; preparing for Hanna and Ike
Bloomington, Illinois, September 4, 2008 -- Catastrophe response operations for State Farm Insurance® are up and running across the Gulf Coast, as victims of Hurricane Gustav return to their homes and begin to assess the damage.
More than 15,000 homeowner claims have been received. Policyholders are reporting damage from wind, hail, water, and sewer and drain back up.
State Farm has the largest claim adjusting force of all insurers. Hundreds of specially trained catastrophe services employees have already joined local claims personnel and State Farm agents responding to this disaster. Call Center staff from across the country is also assisting policyholders who call 1-800-SFCLAIM.
“This is what we do. Being there for our customers is what we do everyday—more than 30,000 claims a day, 14 million a year,” said Jim Damm, State Farm assistant vice-president of claims. “State Farm has high-tech resources and people whose only mission is to help our policyholders recover from these storms. That is why we can focus on our Good Neighbor promise in the Gulf Coast even while we are positioning our people for Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike.”
In Louisiana, claim operations sites have been set up at the Baton Rouge and Wedgwood Operation Centers. These State Farm facilities are being powered by generator and are currently working with policyholders on claims. Mobile Catastrophe Response Vehicles are also operating in Lafayette and Houma.
In Mississippi, auto claim sites have been established in Waveland, Picayune, Natchez, McComb, and Gulfport. Homeowners’ claims are being taken at the Biloxi Operations Center.
As civil authorities in both states approve entry into damaged areas, State Farm will move mobile catastrophe response vehicles and teams of claims personnel in to assist customers. Claims can also be filed by calling 1-800-SFCLAIM.
For questions or more information, contact Jeff McCollum, Public Affairs, at (309) 766-0307.
About State Farm
State Farm® insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 67,000 employees serve over 77 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 32 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.