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State Farm® Customers Urged To Report Their Frozen Pipes Claims

Greeley, CO, February 4, 2011 – Following the recent cold snap, State Farm® is handling water loss claims for those affected by burst pipes and encourage customers to contact their agent or 1-800-SFCLAIM to file a claim. Most of the claims being reported are along the Front Range.

”We are aware of the water loss issues our customers are experiencing in Colorado and our claims department are currently helping them,” says Vice President-Operations Troy Turner. “As the weather warms today, unfortunately people are finding they’ve got a burst pipe in their home. It is important people realize the signs of a burst pipe to avoid further damage to their homes.”

The following are some signs you may have a burst pipe in your home and ways to protect your property from further damage:

• If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on and call a plumber.
• If you detect that your water pipes have frozen and burst, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve in the house; leave the water faucets turned on. (Make sure everyone in your family knows where the water shut-off valve is and how to open and close it.)
• If it is safe to do so, mop up as much of the water as possible to avoid further damage to your property.
• Never try to thaw a pipe with a torch or other open flame. Water damage is preferable to burning down your house. You may be able to thaw a frozen pipe with the warm air from a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe as close to the faucet as possible, working toward the coldest section of pipe. Do not use electrical appliances in areas of standing water because you could be electrocuted.

Water loss is the 2nd most common reported claim in Colorado. Due to the fact that most water loss problems aren’t detected until after leak has started, the damage tends to be the most costly type of loss.

Contact

Angela Thorpe Media Specialist Public Affairs, (303) 264-1560

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 17,700 agents and 68,600 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts – more than 78.7 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. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.