For the last few days major storm systems have wreaked havoc from Indiana and Michigan to Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey and as far south as Florida and Louisiana. The storms brought almost every kind of weather imaginable, from tornados, high winds and heavy rains to significant snow fall, blistering cold and significant flooding. Reports indicate that seven people were killed across the Country and many more were injured by these storms.1
The Midwest:
States in the Midwest were hit by brutal cold, strong winds and heavy snow. In Illinois, Michigan and Indiana the storms closed schools and airports and dropped from twelve (12) to eighteen (18) inches of snow.2
The Gulf Coast & South-East:
Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida were hit by approximately twenty (20) to twenty-four (24) tornados. “On Tuesday, one of the hardest-hit areas along the Gulf Coast was a recreational vehicle park in the town of Convent, in southern Louisiana. RVs were tossed about and lay on top of wrecked cars and pickup trucks. Two people were killed there, and 31 injured people were taken to area hospitals.”3
In Virginia, tornados touched down killing four and injuring dozens.4 It was also reported in Waverly, Virginia, that approximately 2,000 structures were damages as a result of the storms.
The North-East:
Pennsylvania was the hardest hit area in the North-East, being hit by lightning, heavy rain, hail, flooding and damaging winds. In Lancaster County the storm was so severe that it was reported the event will likely be declared a tornado.5 At least fifty (50) homes damaged in Salisbury Township alone, including several building collapses.6 In Philadelphia, Lehigh and Montgomery Counties, flooding was a major issue, closing roads and leaving residents trapped in their cars.7
In my home State of New Jersey, I felt and heard the winds and heavy rain beat down on my roof Wednesday night. New Jersey suffered high winds, flooding and a lot of power outages as a result of downed power lines from fallen trees.
By no means is this a definitive list of all the areas damaged by these devastating storms, merely a small recap of what took place over the last 48 hours. If you suffered damage as a result of these storms make sure you contact your insurance carrier as soon as possible to report the damage. Additionally, you should consider hiring a public adjuster to assist you in preparing your claim.
As always, I’ll leave you with a (mildly) related tune, here’s one of my favorites, James Taylor with Fire and Rain:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=7ALnh3w32VE%3Frel%3D0
1 http://whotv.com/2016/02/25/7-killed-as-tornadoes-touch-down-across-u-s/
2 http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/east-coast-midwest-battered-strong-storm-systems-37182968
3 Id.
4 https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/storm-slams-central-southeast-virginia-leaving-3-dead/2016/02/24/5ded2b56-db57-11e5-8210-f0bd8de915f6_story.html
5 http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/fire-officials-reporting-major-weather-event-in-lancaster-county-multiple/article_2792b9c0-db36-11e5-9311-673431fc072f.html
6 Id.
7 http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/fire-officials-reporting-major-weather-event-in-lancaster-county-multiple/article_2792b9c0-db36-11e5-9311-673431fc072f.html
