Lubbock ranks top 10 in severe weather property damage claims

Lubbock may be one of the toughest places to try to keep a home or car in good condition, due to the city's severe weather seasons.

Allstate released a report that ranked the top 25 Texas counties affected by severe weather, and Lubbock is ranked in the top 10 in three different lists.

With harsh weather conditions typically occurring in the spring, local experts are sharing tips on how to prepare and stay safe during this year's severe weather season.

The Allstate report ranks counties with the highest frequencies of wind-, hail- and lightning-related homeowner and auto property damage claims from 2010 through 2014. According to Allstate's report, Lubbock County is ranked No. 10 in highest frequency of wind and hail claims, No. 4 in highest frequency of lightning claims and No. 5 in highest frequency of nature-related peril auto comprehensive claims.

Kristen Freis, Allstate spokeswoman, said Lubbock County didn't see much of a change from last year's Allstate severe weather property damage claims report.

"From 2009 to 2013, Lubbock was No. 4 for wind (damage claims) and No. 6 for lightning," Freis said. "The auto (comprehensive claims) is new where Lubbock is No. 5."

Freis said most West Texans know what type of weather to expect, but said having a plan and preparing for the severe weather season can come in handy.

"In Texas we know severe storms can happen anywhere at any time," Freis said. "It's just important to have a plan and be aware of it so hopefully you can prevent some of the damages and losses."

Taking inventory of what is in a home and how much things cost is a way to be prepared in case damage occurs during a storm, Freis said.

"Know the value of your stuff and do an annual insurance review and make sure your coverage meets that," she said.

Daniel Stricklan project manager with Paul Davis Restoration, 2304 120th St., said the spring months are typically when people seek out their property damage services. He said there isn't much that can be done to help prevent weather damage to homes.

"There are certain materials that withstand weather situations better than others - metal roofs versus laminated shingles," he said. "Really we're pretty much at the mercy of those situations."

Weather damage to vehicles may be an easier task to prevent, but Allen Scott, A.S. Dent Shop owner, said vehicles are made to be driven and drivers may get caught in bad weather that can cause some damage.

Scott said the best tip he can give car owners to help with reducing the cost of vehicle damage is to make sure their car insurance comprehensive deductible is low.

"The best thing that you can do is look at your comprehensive deductible and make sure it's not too high," Scott said. "Comprehensive covers everything other than collision - wind, hail and water damage and vandalism. If people have a low comprehensive deductible like $250 rather than $500, it can save them a lot of money."

Scott said his 19-year-old business located at 3034 Slide Road sees everything from hail to wind vehicle damage each year.

"When we have big windstorm I do see damage from that - door dents," he said. "The big thing is hail damage because it creates a lot of dents."

Freis said keeping a garage and yard clean can also help prevent some severe weather damage to vehicles.

"Having a place for your car during a hailstorm is obviously crucial," she said. "If your car is parked in your driveway, make sure you don't have tree limbs hanging over it that can potentially snap and fall onto your car."

Clinton Thetford, Lubbock County emergency management coordinator, said he was not surprised at where Lubbock County ranked in Allstate's lists. He said there's not much county officials can do in helping residents with property damage, but said residents can get updates on weather conditions on the county's social media websites, which can help keep them safe.

"For the most part you can't stop the weather," he said. "The biggest thing that we try to focus on is how do we keep our citizens safe. That's things like storm shelters and having emergency plans in place to minimize that loss of life."

"The biggest thing we recommend is when weather is bad in the area to monitor it," Thetford added. "The only people we recommend to not stay where they are in the event of severe weather is people that live in mobile homes or RVs. We highly recommend those folks look into some kind of storm shelter. We can't stop the rain from coming or the wind."

denise.marquez@lubbockonline.com

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