The wake of Hurricane Bret has a glut of homeowners swept into the confusion that surrounds any disaster scene. People in damaged areas are faced with a variety of decisions about how to restore their property to the condition it was in before Bret. Most home damages are relatively minor for a Category 4 hurricane, with homeowners filing claims to replace shingles and fences.
Insurance companies say they are thankful for that.
About 100 Allstate claims agents poured into town over the weekend prepared to cut insurance checks on the spot. But the intensity of the damage was fairly light compared to what they were expecting in the Coastal Bend. Allstate has received more than 160 property claims, almost all of which are for homes. Farmers Insurance Group, the second-largest property and casualty insurer in Texas, recorded 573 property claims, seven commercial and 16 auto claims by Tuesday. The property damages were mainly for roofs and trees on fences.