NU Online News Service, Feb. 4, 2:30 p.m. EST

Snow and ice from Texas and Oklahoma, up through Chicago and on to the Northeast is sure to cause millions of dollars in insured losses. The only question is how many millions?

“It's anyone's guess,” said Jerry Johns, president of the Southwestern Insurance Information Service, which is comprised of companies from Texas and Oklahoma—two states that have seen severe winter weather since Monday.

“We will not know and I couldn't even give a close prediction until we see some thawing,” Mr. Johns said.

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak issued an emergency order, which allows out-of-state appraisers to help with claims related to the winter storm.

Already, claims have rolled in for things like burst pipes in Oklahoma and, in Texas, about 1,000 wind claims have been reported because homeowners in the Fredericksburg, Kingsland, Burnet and Austin areas dealt with strong winds, according to the Insurance Council of Texas. Trees and power lines were down as temperatures dipped to the low teens.

Catastrophe modeler Risk Management Solutions (RMS) said the storm, which dumped more than 20 inches of snow in Chicago, is to blame for collapsed roofs and multiple automobile accidents, and thousands of flights were canceled in the Midwest and New England.

“One of the more dangerous perils associated with the storm was a large area of freezing precipitation,” said Claire Souch, vice president of product management at RMS. “Freezing rain was responsible for numerous downed power lines and hazardous travel conditions across the southern portion of New England.”

Boston recorded more than 10 inches of snow. Thousands were without power due to accumulations of freezing rain in New York and New Jersey.

Luz Correa, spokesman for State Farm in New York, said the insurer has received less than 200 claims from Metro New York as a result of the recent ice storm, mostly for frozen pipes and ice dams. State Farm began reaching out to policyholders to get started on the claims process.

Counting snow storms from December, State Farm has received nearly 700 claims in the Metro area, she said.

AIR Worldwide said possible significant damage, including roof collapse, could result from rain-saturation or melting snow. Leaks can occur inside the home once the thaw begins due to ice dams, a build-up of ice in gutters.

Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois declared emergencies due to the storm. Missouri and Indiana called in the National Guard, said AIR.

More snow is forecast this weekend for the Northeast.

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