The Massive Explosion at a West, Texas fertilizer plant has caused at least $100 million in insured losses to property. Mark Hanna, spokesman of the Insurance Council of Texas, tellsPC360 from the small rural town of about 2,800 that damages include “concussion-type losses.” That is, some homes look normal from the outside but have suffered damage.
To illustrate the point, Hanna relays a conversation he had with a resident: “She had a can of beans on the kitchen counter and it exploded, but no windows of her house were broken.” In other words, damages may take some time to assess because they may not immediately be noticed. The forces related to the explosion may have affected structures and vehicles differently than a tornado, for example, although the destruction has been described as tornado-like.
The blast April 17 destroyed 140 homes, a middle school, an apartment building, and a retirement center. Insurance adjusters are on the scene assisting policyholders. The explosion killed 15, and injured as many as 200.
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