Denver storm costs $350 million - Second most in state history

July 28, 8:10 AMDenver Weather ExaminerTony Hake

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A man surveys damage to a vehicle struck by a fallen tree after
last week's storms. The June 20th hail and wind storm has racked
up costs of $350 million in insurance claims.  View our slideshow
below for more amazing images from the storms.
Image courtesy Becki Mullen.

Last week’s hail and wind storm that brought destruction to the west Denver suburbs of Wheat Ridge and Arvada caused $350 million in insured damage according to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (RMIIA).  The end result is a storm that now ranks as the second costliest in state history and adds to an already expensive summer storm season.

The July 20th storm has thus far resulted in 52,400 claims, 19,500 of which were for automobile damage and 32,900 were homeowner claims.  RMIIA says that damage would have been much higher had the storm struck during daylight hours when more people and vehicles were on the road instead of in their homes and garages. 

• Slideshow: Amazing images of destruction caused by the July 20th storm
• Video: Video of destruction caused by the July 20th storm

Massive trees were uprooted, power poles snapped, windows shattered, and automobiles dented beyond repair when the storm brought winds in excess of 60 mph and golf ball sized hail to the area.  Two tornadoes also briefly touched down near Castle Rock and Englewood although they were not responsible for significant damage.  90,000 people lost power during the storm and Xcel Energy deployed more than 200 people into the field to restore electricity. 

Roy Schmidt uses a chain saw to clear a tree from cars in a
driveway at a home in Wheat Ridge, Colo., on Tuesday, July
21, 2009. A storm with high winds heavy rain and hail rolled
through the area late Monday night, downing trees and power
lines. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) .  View our slideshow below for
more amazing images from the storms.

Carole Walker, executive director of RMIIA said, “This summer Mother Nature has reminded Coloradans that we live in ‘hail alley’ where strong storms can cause hundreds of millions of dollars in insured damage.  This season is reminiscent of the mid 1980s and early ‘90s, giving us a real wake-up call.”

The toll from last week’s storm follows on the week of severe weather in June that caused $161.1 million in damage - a total that put it at the sixth most expensive.  Together, more than $511 million in storm damage has been realized during the 2009 severe storm season.

Colorado’s Top Ten Most Costly Storms:

1. $625 million insured hail damage: July 11, 1990. 
2. $350 million insured hail and wind damage: July 20, 2009. 
3. $276.7 million insured hail damage: June 13-14, 1984. 
4. $225 million insured hail damage: October 1, 1994. 
5. $193.5 million insured tornado and hail damage in Windsor: May 22, 2008. 
6. $161.1 million insured tornado and hail damage: June 6-15, 2009. 
7. $146.5 million insured hail damage: June 8-9, 2004. 
8. $128 million insured hail damage: August 11, 1997. 
9. $122 million in insured hail damage: May 22, 1996. 
10. $100 million in insured hail damage: May 30 - June 2, 1991. 
11. $93.3 million insured damage from heavy snow and ice: March 18-19, 2003.

Source: Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (RMIIA)