Monday, July 21st, 2003 — Hurricane Claudette, the killer storm that hit Texas, could be one of the costliest to hit the state, if early estimates hold true.
Preliminary loss estimates from the storm, which hit southern Texas last Tuesday leaving two dead, are put at between $60 to $80 million, according to the Insurance Information Institute Inc. There are about 5,000 homeowner claims and 1,000 auto claims reported so far, the New York City-based I.I.I. said.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced Friday that five counties, Calhoun, Victoria, Jackson, Matagorda and Refugio, were declared disaster areas by President George W. Bush, making them eligible for federal aid. A disaster declaration is still pending for 10 other counties, the governor said in a statement.