A rainstorm moved through Michigan Monday night and left thousands of people without power and some Southwest Michigan farms with crop damage.

In Marcellus, a village of Cass County, a hog finishing barn experienced severe damage due to strong winds, said Adam Hover, an agent for Farm Bureau Insurance (FBI) of Michigan in Cassopolis.

“We haven’t heard the totals for crop damage, but it has to be bad,” Hover said.

Several reports of 15 to 20 minutes of hail, along with 62 mph winds caused significant losses for fruit farms in the Keller/Hartford area. Straight-line winds reportedly broke fruit trees in half.

According to FBI, customers filed 125 damage claims following the storm as of 1 p.m., with most of them occurring in Van Buren County. The organization estimates more than $5,000,000 in damages, including 54 farm owners submitting claims.

“Based on our wind and hail models, we project this storm system will produce more than 500 auto and property losses across Van Buren, Cass and St. Joseph counties,” said Timothy Martin, director of property claims for FBI.

He said most of the damage is wind related.

The National Weather Service recorded 75 mph wind gusts and .88 inches of rain in St. Joseph County.

“Our adjusting team is focused on taking care of our farm clients who have been impacted by storms,” Martin said. “This is normal for us in the summer months, and we have the resources in place to handle the expected increase in claim volume. Farm Bureau Insurance is extremely well capitalized, and this is a normal part of our business.”

Source - https://www.michiganfarmnews.com