American Family Insurance Helping Customers Hit by Tornados, Severe Storms in Kansas City Area

MADISON, Wis., March 7 -- American Family Insurance issued the following news release:

A team from American Family Insurance is assisting customers impacted by tornados and damaging storms that pounded the Kansas City area in both Missouri and Kansas last night.

The areas affected include Kansas counties Wyandotte, Johnson, Douglas and Leavenworth, and Platte, Clay, Jackson and Clinton counties in Missouri. (Photos above show damage from Clinton County, Mo.)

Local office teams are busy handling priority insurance claims and assisting those customers requiring immediate attention. Catastrophe field adjusters have been deployed and have begun contacting customers and setting up appointments to inspect their damage.

A catastrophe response vehicle has been set up at Faith in Christ Fellowship Church, 101 SW 21st Street, Oak Grove, MO.

American Family Insurance customers who have claims from storm damage should immediately contact the company's 24-hour Customer Care Center, 1-800-MY-AMFAM (692-6326). They can also report claims to their local American Family agent, or online at www.amfam.com/claims.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

What damages to my property might be covered?

Your homeowners insurance policy provides coverage for damage to your home and personal property caused by wind/tornado, hail, fire and smoke.

Can I get an emergency advance payment?

Yes. If you have a covered loss and need emergency funds, we can provide you an advance payment. This advance payment will be applied to your final claim settlement.

Can I start to make repairs to prevent further damage?

You should protect your property immediately against further damage and theft. Use plywood, tarps or other materials to cover broken windows and damaged rooftops. Keep the receipts of any materials/services that you purchase to make these repairs so your adjuster can review them and reimburse you for expenses covered by your policy.

Do I have coverage to replace damaged trees or remove tree debris caused by the storm?

Homeowners insurance generally does not cover damage to trees or the removal of tree debris from the property. If a tree has fallen on your home and caused damage, however, we pay to cut away that part of the tree so repairs can be made; most policies pay up to $500 for removing that part of the tree from the property. Check your policy for specific coverage.

The storm caused a neighbor's tree to fall on my house? Whose insurance company should I report my claim to - the neighbor's or mine?

Report the claim to American Family Insurance. Since the cause of damage was an act of nature, your insurance policy applies. If the roles were reversed and a tree from your property fell on your neighbor's home, the neighbor's insurance policy would apply.

How will the inspection process work?

If your home has sustained damage, an adjuster will contact you at one of the phone numbers you provided when you reported your claim. The two of you will schedule an inspection of your home, after which the adjuster will develop an estimate and issue payment for repairs covered by your policy.

Who do I call to make repairs?

You are free to select any contractor (home) or repair shop (auto) you wish. It is usually best to select one who has operated in the area for several years, is insured and bonded and gives you a written guarantee for the work performed.

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