NU Online News Service, Feb. 8, 2:36 p.m.EST

Insured losses from winter storms in Texas are expected to beabout $51 million, according to initial estimates based on inputfrom insurers comprising the Southwestern Insurance InformationService (SIIS).

“It is important to stress these are very early loss numbers andthey could increase significantly as above freezing temperaturesare expected, even for a short time,” said Jerry Johns, presidentof the SIIS.

Mr. Johns said most damage will be due to burst pipes as well asstrong winds during the storm, which affected as many as 30 states and 100 millionpeople from Texas to New England early this month. There willalso be some claims for vehicle damage, Mr. Johns added.

Catastrophe modeler AIR Worldwide estimates insured losses from the massivewinter storm to be between $790 million and $1.4 billion.

Thus far in Texas, insurers think they have enough availableadjusters to handle the needs of policyholders, Mr. Johns said.

The SIIS is also made up of insurers from Oklahoma, which wasalso affected by the storm. Mr. Johns said loss estimates there arestill being tallied.

The storm went from Texas and Oklahoma to Illinois, where itdumped 20 inches of snow on Chicago, before heading to New Englandand the New York Metropolitan Area to cause problems from snow andfrozen rain.