Oklahoma lies in the south-central region of the U.S, sharing its borders with the states of Texas,, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Colorado. It has been nicknamed the ‘Sooner State’ and the people living here are informally called ’Okies’. Spread over 69,899 sq miles, it has a population of around 3.9 million. Its economy has prospered on the basis of biotechnology, aviation, and telecommunications, it also has plants for the production of agricultural goods and oil and natural gas. Oklahoma City, the capital, and Tulsa are two of the largest cities here, and they play an important role in its economy.
Oklahoma’s natural landscape covers mountains, arid plains, and forests. Reports state that nearly 24 percent of Oklahoma is under forest cover, however, there is a proliferation of prairie grasslands in its central and western portions.
Some wonderful places to live in are Edmond and Norman, suburbs of Oklahoma City, and Jenks, Bixby, and Owasso, all suburbs of Tulsa. Piedmont and Tuttle are counted among the wealthy vicinities with beautiful homes. Owners of homes in Oklahoma need to protect their hard-earned investment from natural disasters such as tornadoes and wildfires, to which they are vulnerable.
Being part of the ‘tornado alley’, frequent thunderstorms, damaging winds, hailstorms, and tornadoes are common in Oklahoma state. It is reported that Oklahoma City alone suffered five tornadoes in one day in 1974! It holds the infamous record of being one of the highest in tornado strikes in the world, with a stupendous average of 62 tornado strikes per year. Further, Oklahoma suffered devastating wildfires, in 2016, which burned 767,780 acres, making it the largest in the nation by the number of acres burned. According to statistics from Verisk, more than 4.5 million U.S. properties are at high to extreme wildfire risk, of which nearly 153,400 households are in Oklahoma.
Apart from these natural calamities, Oklahoma homeowners need to protect their homes from unforeseen risks such as plumbing leaks, mold damage, roof damage, slab leaks, theft, vandalism, etc. Before you purchase an insurance policy you need to ensure that it provides coverage as per your requirements. Some of the leading insurance companies serving Oklahoma residents are State Farm, Farmers Insurance Group, Liberty Mutual, Allstate Corp, USAA Insurance Group, CSAA Insurance Exchange, Progressive, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co., Shelter Insurance, and American Farmers and Ranchers.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, the annual premium amount paid by homeowners in 2017 in Oklahoma was $1885 on average, while the amount for those who rent homes was $236.
When claiming for damages, dealing with your insurance company can get quite complicated as they will often not pay you fairly for personal content that is not salvageable, and this may leave you unhappy. At times like this, a public adjuster who is a professional claims handler can represent your interests by appraising and negotiating your insurance claim. They understand the clauses in the policies and help you to determine the coverage, and negotiate with the insurance company’s claims handler.
Oklahoma public adjusters have the knowledge and expertise in estimating the costs incurred from damage especially due to natural calamities. They may consult architects, mold specialists, and other experts like water damage repairers to prepare an exhaustive claim.
Do reach out to us at Experienced Public Adjusters for insurance claims in Oklahoma, and we’ll be there for you!