Table:
|  | June 1, 2019 | June 2, 2018 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Land and improvements | $93,046 | $90,757 |
| Buildings and improvements | 370,451 | 360,030 |
| Machinery and equipment | 496,166 | 478,997 |
| Construction-in-progress | 52,551 | 9,307 |
|  | 1,012,214 | 939,091 |
| Less: accumulated depreciation | 555,920 | 513,707 |
|  | $456,294 | $425,384 |
Paragraphs:
6. Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following (in thousands):
Depreciation expense was $51.7 million, $51.1 million and $48.8 million in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
The Company maintains insurance for both property damage and business interruption relating to catastrophic events, such as fires. Insurance recoveries received for property damage and business interruption in excess of the net book value of damaged assets, clean-up and demolition costs, and post-event costs are recognized as income in the period received or committed when all contingencies associated with the recoveries are resolved. Gains on insurance recoveries related to business interruption are recorded within “Cost of sales” and any gains or losses related to property damage are recorded within “Other income (expense).” Insurance recoveries related to business interruption are classified as operating cash flows and recoveries related to property damage are classified as investing cash flows in the statement of cash flows. Insurance claims incurred or finalized during the fiscal years ended 2019, 2018, and 2017 did not have a material affect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
Question:
What was the depreciation expense in 2019?
Answer: $51.7 million