American Property Casualty Insurance Association: As Tornado Alley Shifts to the Southeast, Residents Need to Prepare for Peak Tornado Season

ATLANTA, Georgia, April 21 (TNSRes) -- The American Property Casualty Insurance Association issued the following news release:

April kicks off the most active and dangerous stretch of tornado season and forecasters are predicting this year's tornado season could be more severe than usual. Research has shown that tornadoes are occurring more often in the Southeast, where they are twice as deadly as tornadoes elsewhere in the U.S. Tornadoes can strike with little to no warning, which is why it is critical for residents to take steps now to prepare their insurance information in case they need to file a claim after a disaster, according to the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA).

"Insurance is there to help you recover if your home or property is damaged during a tornado or other severe weather event, but there are simple steps you can take before disaster strikes to ensure you are adequately protected," said Jeff Brewer, APCIA's vice president of public affairs. "As research shows the traditional tornado alley is shifting to the Southeast, residents in these states in particular need to be prepared."

A recent analysis (https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063713673#:~:text=In%20March%202019%2C%20a%20violent,%2C%209%2C%208%20and%206.&text=The%20state%20has%20the%20most%20recorded%20tornado%20deaths%20than%20every%20other%20state.) of the 38,000 tornadoes that occurred from 1950 to 2019 found a clear shift from the first half of the 70-year period to the second half. Tornado activity was almost identical in the two 35-year periods, but in the Southeast the number of tornadoes increased by 42 percent and in the Great Plains the number of tornadoes decreased by 20 percent.

Severe weather and tornadoes can occur throughout the year, but April, May, and June are typically the peak months in terms of frequency and intensity. In 2020, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Illinois experienced the greatest number of tornadoes, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"Most severe weather events are covered under a homeowners, renters, or commercial insurance policy, so it is critically important to review your policy each year and make sure it is up to date," added Brewer. "A home is often an individual's biggest asset. Having the right amount of insurance coverage helps individuals and families financially recover quicker if their home is damaged or destroyed in a natural disaster."

APCIA offers the following tips to prepare for peak tornado season:

* Conduct a yearly review of your insurance policy to help ensure your home and belongings are fully protected. Over the course of a year, you may have made upgrades, completed renovations, or purchased new items that could impact the amount of coverage you need. Call your insurer or insurance agent to review your policy in detail.

* Create an inventory of your home's contents so you can quickly and easily account for all of your belongings and report a loss to your insurer if disaster strikes. Many insurers have free tools available to help their policyholders create a home inventory or you can take photos and videos using your smartphone. Be sure to save your inventory to a safe, accessible place, like the cloud.

* Work with your insurer or insurance agent to understand your insurance policy and how your coverage works. Ask if your policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value. Actual cash value takes depreciation into account, and replacement cost is the amount necessary to rebuild the home with construction materials of like kind and quality.