Tornadoes late May 15 in north-central Texas damaged multiplehomes, killing six people and injuring 100.

As many as 10 twisters touched down after nightfall on May 15 inHood, Johnson, and Ellis counties, destroying homes, scatteringtrailers and throwing down softball-sized hail. According to localnews sources, about 20,000 homes and businesses are still withoutpower.

“April through June is the height of our storm season in Texas,and North Texas is located in tornado alley and the hail belt,”says Mark Hanna, spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas.“Just last year we had major hailstorms and tornados in April thatcaused $750 million in losses and another occurrence in June thatcost $900 million. The Dallas-Fort Worth area continues to getpounded.”

The first sign on the oncoming storm was softball-size hail thatfell around Mineral Wells the morning of May 15.

“Holy cow, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The hail couldhave been larger than softballs,” says Mark Wiley, a meteorologistwith the National Weather Service Southern Region Headquarters inthe city of Fort Worth, which dispatched ambulances to the affectedtownships.

Granbury, a city about 40 miles from Fort Worth, was thehardest-hit when a tornado touched down around 8 p.m., leavingbehind six fatalities and reports of 14 missing people. Most of thedestruction occurred in Rancho Brazos, a neighborhood subdivisionbuilt by Habitat for Humanity volunteers.

“Insurance adjusters will be trying to reach policyholders andproviding them with additional living expense checks if their homeshave been destroyed or unlivable,” says Hanna. “This will bea massive response because we're talking a very large area ofdestruction.”

A mile-wide twister tore through the nearby city of Cleburne,damaging roofs and houses but causing no confirmed deaths.Additional damage occurred in Ennis, where squalls of 70 mph windstore through homes and infrastructure, and the small town ofMillsap about 40 miles west of Fort Worth.

State Farm as of late May 16 says it has received 1,073auto claims and 2,102 homeowner claims. The damages were caused byhigh wind and large hail concentrated in Granbury,Cleburne, and Mineral Wells.

The Insurance Council of Texas says that the timing ofyesterday's night storms may have allowed people more flexibilityto get to safety.

“People are probably more tuned in to their televisions andradios in the evenings, heeding weather warnings,” says Hana. “Youcan't see what's going on outside the window, but you are able tohunker down in a safe location in your home; it's also safer thanhaving people out on the roadway during drive time.”

In 2012 there were 114 tornadoes in Texas, second only toKansas, which experienced 145 twisters. According to dataaccumulated by the Insurance Infromation Institute, average insuredlosses from thunderstorms–including tornadoes–have increasedsevenfold since 1980.