Home insurance claims due to lightning top $1 billion in 2010

Both home insurance claims and payouts for damages caused by lightning rose significantly from 2009 to 2010, a recent study from the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) revealed. The weather has certainly been a frequent topic in the news recently, with massive damage being seen throughout the U.S. as a result of both tornadoes and strong thunderstorms. Many homeowners in coastal regions are also well aware that it is currently hurricane season. According to the I.I.I., homeowners in the U.S. made more than 213,000 home insurance claims as a result of lightning damages in 2010. This is a 14.8 percent increase from 2009, when nearly 186,000 claims were made.