Monday, July 6th, 2026 — State Farm has released new catastrophe data showing Illinois homeowners filed approximately 50,000 severe weather claims through June 19, 2026, putting the year on pace for the company’s highest catastrophe claim volume in a decade. According to the insurer, homeowner catastrophe claims are running 47 percent above the 10-year average while auto catastrophe claims are 101 percent above historical levels. The figures come as State Farm continues defending a 27 percent homeowners insurance rate increase that sparked a public dispute with Illinois officials.
The company says worsening severe weather has significantly increased claims costs across the state. Illinois recorded more than 210 preliminary tornado reports through late June, already exceeding the previous state record, while 6-inch hailstones documented in Kankakee County could represent the largest hail ever recorded in Illinois. State Farm also noted it paid hundreds of millions of dollars in Illinois hail claims over the past two years.
The weather data arrives while litigation continues between State Farm and Illinois regulators over the company’s refusal to provide nationwide policy data during a Department of Insurance financial examination. State officials have argued that the insurer’s rate increase unfairly shifts costs onto Illinois policyholders, while State Farm maintains that years of underwriting losses and increasing catastrophe activity justify higher premiums.
For claims professionals, the report underscores how severe convective storms continue to reshape property insurance in the Midwest. Increasing tornado frequency, larger hail events, and rising catastrophe claim volume are placing additional pressure on claim operations, catastrophe response, reserving, and rate adequacy discussions across the industry.
