ORLANDO, Fla. – After several days of severe weather, including extremely large hail, in Central Florida, vehicle insurance companies have reported an increase in storm-related claims.
This comes after large pieces of hail fell throughout Lake and Marion counties Wednesday and traffic nearly stopped in both directions on Interstate 95 in Brevard County the next day when another hailstorm hit.
[RELATED: Viewer photos, videos show hail in Lake County as storms hit the area]
Tanya Robinson with Allstate said recent storms in Central Florida have resulted in significant damage to vehicles.
“The most claims we are seeing is from 2-inch hail with some isolated larger hail that broke windshields and caused major damage to vehicles,” Robinson said. “Also, we’ve had reports of objects like trash cans and tree limbs blowing and falling in vehicles.”
According to the Insurance Information Institute, State Farm Insurance paid out $3.5 billion for hail-related damage in 2022.
Furthermore, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports 66 total hailstorms hit Florida last year, with eight days of hailstorms so far in 2023.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider | Here’s why the weather has been so active in Florida | DeSantis-Disney battle continues]
Robinson suggested that people meet with an insurance agent before the start of hurricane season to make sure they are covered.
“The most important thing is to make sure you contact your insurer if you have vehicle or property damage by any of the recent hailstorms,” Robinson said. “We highly recommend meeting with your insurance agent every year to make sure you have the right coverage and insurance in place to insure your item.”
According to NOAA, there are about 20 states who experienced more hailstorms than Florida in 2022.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: