Phoenix Business Journal
October 15, 2010
Lynn Ducey and Mike Sunnucks

The Oct. 5 storm that hit the Valley brought down trees and power lines, damaged homes and businesses and flooded streets. Now, the aftermath of the storm is flooding insurance companies with claims, and businesses ranging from roofers and tree trimmers to handymen and auto body shops are in high demand. 

Insurance agents are seeing a river of new claims stemming from the storm, which included high winds and golf-ball-sized hail. 

“There will be tens of thousands of claims just in the Valley alone related to this storm,” said Ron Williams, executive director of the Arizona Insurance Council, a trade association that represents property and casualty insurers across the state. 

One of the state’s larger insurers, State Farm, had received 12,000 auto claims and 5,000 homeowners claims through Oct. 13 in the Valley, Williams said. As a result, State Farm set up four emergency response centers to handle claims in Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe.