Extreme Weather Strikes Hard, Leaves Destruction in Its Wake
What’s going on with the weather lately? If you feel like the skies are angrier than usual, you’re not alone. Over the past couple of weeks, relentless storms have wreaked havoc across the U.S. and Europe, leaving devastation and a hefty insurance bill in their wake.
Between May 29 and June 4, severe weather pounded the U.S., with Texas, Kansas, Illinois, and Missouri taking some of the hardest hits. Picture this: immense hailstones, raging floods, gusting winds, and even a powerful EF3 tornado in Missouri that barreled through St. Louis into Illinois. Insured losses? Staggering. Estimates range from hundreds of millions to $7 billion in damages.
State Farm Steps Up
It’s been a rough ride for State Farm. The insurance giant has seen an avalanche of claims this year from one weather disaster after another. Between June 1 and June 4 alone, nearly 5,500 claims poured in from the storms in Texas. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Mid-May was no kinder. The company logged over 32,650 home and auto claims from tornadoes and severe storms across seven states, with Missouri leading the pack at 9,300 claims. Kentucky and Illinois weren’t far behind. Tornadoes tearing down homes in St. Louis, hail the size of tennis balls striking vehicles, and floods consuming neighborhoods. Just brutal.
What About Europe?
Europe didn’t escape unscathed. From May 31 to June 4, powerful storms ripped through Western and Central Europe. Think torrential rains and hailstones the size of baseballs, hammering places like France, Germany, and the Netherlands. France’s Puy-de-Dôme region got hit particularly hard, where hailstones were nearly 4 inches in diameter. Add in a destructive tornado in France? More homes damaged. More crops ruined.
Bigger Picture – Are Storms Getting Worse?
Storm-related insurance claims just keep climbing. And 2025? It’s no exception. The numbers are staggering. Back in 2023, the U.S. got slammed with 28 major weather disasters. Each one racked up over $1 billion in losses, adding up to a jaw-dropping $93.1 billion. Fast forward to this year, and the same story’s playing out. Billions in storm losses are already stacking up.
Hail and wind? They’re more than annoying. They’re downright destructive. Together, they made up almost 40% of homeowners’ insurance claims in recent years. Back in 2021, the average payout for hail or wind damage? $12,913. And that number’s only gone up. Why? Inflation. Repairs are pricier, and materials don’t come cheap. It’s hitting policyholders and insurers hard.
Here’s another wrinkle. More people are moving into storm-prone areas. Sounds risky, right? It is. More homes in harm’s way means more damage when storms roll through. Add in the rising cost of repairs, and the financial impact just gets heavier.
Now, look at 2025. State Farm alone has already handled over 32,650 claims from May storms. Missouri took the hardest hit, with more than 9,300 claims filed. That’s a lot. And it’s not just the volume. It’s what it says about how fierce these storms have become.
What’s the takeaway? Prepare. Seriously. Check your insurance. Know your coverage. Stay ahead of the risks. Because storms are getting stronger, more destructive. And the stakes? They’re way too high to gamble on luck.