State Farm says it has received more than 80,000 claims fromSuperstorm Sandy and has taken to the sky to get policyholders toreport more.

About 68,500 homeowners claims have been received as of Nov. 5.Another 12,900 automobile claims have come in since Sandy madelandfall last Monday, reports an email from company spokeswomanHolly Anderson.

“In an effort to make sure we are reaching every customer,”State Farm got planes and attached a banner to them with thecompany's claims number, says Anderson. “One plane will coverStaten Island, Long Island, Metro New York City coastal areas, and5-10 miles inland from the coast—as well as up and down the HudsonRiver. A second plane will cover the coast of New Jersey and 5-10miles inland from the coast, everything Ocean City and north(including Hoboken).”

This is the first time State Farm has used this method after astorm on the East Coast, says Anderson. “We're exhausting everyavenue to help our customers recover from this devastating storm,”she says.

Ironically the sound of these planes is familiar to anyone whohas ever enjoyed the New Jersey shore—the area where Sandy madelandfall a week ago. During the summer banner planes travel upand down the New Jersey coastline tugging signs advertisingeverything from what's happening at local clubs to cosmeticsurgeries and attorney services.

State Farm, the top writer of homeowners insurance in New York,New Jersey and Pennsylvania, says about 54,000 homeowners claimsare from these states. Another 5,600 are from Maryland.

New York leads among states reporting auto claims so far, with7,300. New Jersey has added 3,000 auto claims to the company'stotal as of Nov. 5 but it is also the first day in which many NewJersey coastal homeowners are allowed to return to their homes.Since the storm, authorities kept residents out due to potentiallyunsafe conditions.

Anderson says State Farm has claims teams on the ground and hasset up mobile claims sites in Atlantic, Bergen and Morris countiesin New Jersey; Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, N.Y.;Monroe and Westchester counties in New York; Delaware, Cumberland,Allegheny and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania; and New HavenCounty in Connecticut.

Nationwide has received more than 25,000 claims since Sandy—withmore than 7,200 coming from New York and about 7,400 fromPennsylvania.

“We're addressing our hardest-hit policyholders first,” saysNationwide spokeswoman Elizabeth Stelzer. “Those homes with a treethrough a wall, an exposed roof, or other claims in which the homehas become uninhabitable, are the priority. Claims associates arealso focusing efforts in those communities with the greatestconcentration of property damage.”

As many insurers do, Nationwide encourages homeowners to makeinventory lists and make temporary repairs, if it is safe to do so,to prevent more damage.

Stelzer says Nationwide has also set up several humanitarianstations—open to anyone—across the east coast to dole out water andother emergency supplies as well as antibacterial wipes, personalhygiene items and other goods.