NU Online News Service, April 19, 1:05 p.m.EDT

Residents and insurance adjusters from Oklahoma to NorthCarolina are sorting through piles of debris left by the massivestrength of more than 200 tornadoes.

State Farm says it has received more than 15,000 claims from thestorms. Hundreds of claims adjusters are in the hardest-hit areasin North Carolina and Virginia.

A significant number of homes will be declared uninhabitable orhave sustained major structural damage, State Farm says.

Steve Carroll, vice president and general manager for NorthCarolina Farm Bureau Insurance, says homes were lifted up offfoundations and thrown dozens of yards.

“It’s so unusual—so amazing,” he adds, referring to theextensive destruction left by the storms. North Carolina appears tohave been one of the hardest-hit states as the storm system movedeast from Oklahoma April 14-April 16.

Related: View Slideshow of the Tornado Damage

“We’re used to handling damages from one [tornado] that hits aspecific area, but this is everywhere; there were so many,” Carrollsays.

North Carolina normally gets about 20 tornadoes per year.Experts say the state was hit by as many as 20 on April 16alone.

Thus far NC Farm Bureau has received 2,700 home, automobile,farm and commercial claims. Losses from these claims total about$21 million, but Carroll expects the claims number and losses to atleast quadruple—to about 10,000 claims and $100 million of insuredlosses.

The state’s third-largest personal-lines writer is treating theaftermath of the tornadoes like the aftermath of a hurricane,deploying its greatest catastrophe response, says Carroll.Adjusters in state are being relocated, independent adjusters havebeen called upon, and others from the Farm Bureau family are headedin.

State Farm spokeswoman Kim Conyers says the insurer has receivedabout 2,200 homeowners claims and 1,250 auto claims.

“I imagine this is a really challenging storm for the industrybecause it’s so widespread and so severe,” she says. The insurer isdeploying resources in and out of state to assist in the recovery,handling the most significant claims first. Another 300 homeownersclaims have come from Virginia, Conyers adds.

The severe weather from Thursday through Sunday affectedOklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas andVirginia. Forty-five people died as a result of the storms.

Nationwide has taken 2,000 home and auto claims in NorthCarolina as of April 19, says spokeswoman Elizabeth Giannetti.Claims counts are expected to rise significantly as 300 associatesare now on the ground to assess damages, write checks and help fileclaims.

Mobile catastrophe units are stationed in Holly Springs, Sanfordand throughout Benson, Fayetteville and Bertie counties to assistpolicyholders and provide humanitarian aid.

Allstate spokeswoman April Eaton said the company is seeingdowned trees, snapped telephone poles, damage to roofs, andhail damage. The insurer has five mobile claims centers in NorthCarolina, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, and North Carolina.The locations in the Carolinas are drive-in claim centers to meetthe increased auto claim volume, she adds.

Catastrophe-modeler AIR Worldwide says April and May are theworst times for tornadoes in the South. However, the weekend’sstorm system “was unusual because of its size and duration,” saysTim Doggett, AIR principal scientist. Many tornadoes touched downin open fields, but North Carolina and Virginia are expected to seethe most insured losses, AIR says.

The National Weather Service is forecasting more severe weatherwith the possibility of tornadoes later today through Tuesday.

According to Highline Data, the top writers of personal lines (homeand auto policies) in North Carolina in 2010 were Nationwide with a17.5 percent market share, State Farm (15.8 percent), NorthCarolina Farm Bureau Insurance (11.1 percent), Allstate (9.7percent), and Berkshire Hathaway and USAA (tied with 5.4percent).

Highline Data is a part of Summit Business Media, which alsoowns National Underwriter.