The storm phenomenon has affected the entire Miami Valley, not just through the massive tornadoes that hit in 2019 —they touched nearly every part of the region in the span of just over two months last year.
Tornadoes hit Riverside, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and parts of Clark County on Feb. 28, then Miami County and Logan County (killing three people near Indian Lake) on March 14, then touched down in Warren County on May 7. So far in 2025, Butler and Warren county have each seen multiple EF-0 tornadoes.
The continuing run of storms has substantial emotional impacts on homeowners trying to rebuild their homes and lives, but the financial impacts are very real as well.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Storms - and costs - rising
Ohio’s 74 tornadoes in 2024 smashed the previous record of 61 in 1992. Five other states also broke tornado records, according to the National Weather Service.
Simultaneously, homeowners insurance rates have jumped by double digits for the second year in a row, according to research firm S&P Global. In Ohio, the effective rate change in 2024 was 10.9% (on the heels of 10.2% in 2023), just over the national average of 10.4%.
Five other states (Montana, Iowa, Minnesota, Utah and Washington) showed premiums rising by more than 20% in 2024.
One major factor as to why this is happening is the increased cost of building materials, which drives up repair and replacement expenses, said Jim Berlon, an agent with Farmers Insurance in Kettering.
For example, the producer price index report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that prices for roofing materials manufacturing has more than doubled since March of 2020.
The producer price index is often used as a predictor of inflation, another factor that is likely compounding homeowners’ woes, said Todd Walker, director of communications for the Ohio Department of Insurance.
Additionally, severe-weather claims are “becoming more frequent and widespread, placing added strain on insurance providers,” Berlon said.
One industry-wide shift is the broader range of coverage options now available, he added.
“Insurance policies can be more customized than ever before,” Berlon said. “As a result, premiums are directly influenced by the level of protection selected. The more coverage a client opts for, the higher the premium will be.”
Ohio historically has some of the lowest average homeowner’s insurance premiums in the country, Walker said. According to a recent report by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners using 2022 data, Ohio had the fifth-lowest homeowners insurance rate in the country. Ohioans had an annual average premium of $995, compared to the nationwide average of $1,569.
One family’s story
In May of 2024, an EF1 tornado touched down south of Oxford, Ohio, gouging a path across several homes, including one belonging to the Vollmer family.
A little over a year later, the family is still finding everything from scrap metal to stray footballs in unexpected places around their property.
“We just recently hauled off giant piles of scrap,” said Jennifer Vollmer. “It was more of an operation than I’d have ever imagined, to clean up from that.”
Vollmer, a retired firefighter and paramedic, is a fourth-generation farmer, and the Butler County farm has been in her family for nearly a century.
During the tornado, the family lost two massive grain bins, one of which flew into the road, as well as the doors to their barn, which disappeared completely. The small roadside stand where they sold vegetables had been smashed into kindling, and their semi had been turned over and bent out of shape. Fortunately, the family house itself mostly suffered surface-level damage.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
The tornado has left emotional scars on the family as well. To this day, her son, who just turned 12, insists on checking the radar every single night.
“It really took a lot of out of us last year. Emotionally, physically, we were just drained,” Vollmer said. “The community has been great ... Whenever there’s a big storm coming, I’ve got friends that check on me, making sure we know.”
Today, the barn has been repaired, the semi replaced, and the chickens and cats once more roam about unbothered. But Vollmer said much of the work that has been done (or remains to be done) has been at a personal cost of tens of thousands of dollars — or a knock-down-drag-out battle of words with insurance adjusters.
“It was a negative experience, I would say,” Vollmer said of the immediate aftermath. “The adjuster wasn’t even prepared, was sent from out of state, didn’t even know it was a tornado,” she said. “The barn is a higher-quality building, and we wanted a comparable company to do the repairs. We had to fight pretty hard to to get repairs done, just to get barn doors on again.”
While anyone whose property suffers enough damage to file a homeowner’s insurance claim is likely to suffer some headaches, the Vollmers’ predicament is likely compounded by their status as an agricultural operation.
“I think if we had a insurance company that was more used to dealing with agricultural-related loss, it would have been a better experience. Sometimes they don’t understand the importance of certain equipment or certain things ... we had augurs that were damaged, things like that,” Vollmer said.
Others who escaped the tornado have had more luck. Vollmer’s brother, who lives nearby, lost his roof on a seven-year-old house, she said. He had a new roof within the week.
Protecting yourself - and your wallet
As costs continue to rise, the impact on residents’ wallets is clear. For the Vollmers, this means picking and choosing what to repair, and what to let go another year.
“My father is a retired farmer,” Vollmer said. “(He has) limited income, and he’s having a really difficult time just covering premiums for the farm. I go and I assist with that as much as I can to help cover (it) but just to insure the farm, it’s astronomical right now.”
With so many constantly shifting factors, it’s essential for homeowners to thoroughly review their coverage, Berlon said.
“Not all insurance policies are created equal,” he said. “Just because two policies list similar coverage amounts don’t mean they offer the same protection, especially when it comes to how claims are handled or paid out.”
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
It’s also crucial to pay attention to liability limits, “a key part of protecting your net worth,” he added.
“Unfortunately, far too many people are significantly underinsured, which can leave them financially vulnerable when something unexpected happens,” he said.
All insurance companies selling policies in Ohio must file and support any rate increase with the the Ohio Department of Insurance, which reviews approximately 4,000 rate filings annually to ensure premiums are sound, and not excessive, inadequate, or discriminatory.
The department also puts out a Homeowner’s Insurance Guide, which residents can use to make financial decisions about their homes.
For homeowners insurance, the choice of coverage limits, deductible amounts, and endorsements can significantly impact the premium amount, Walker said.
Consumers can contact the Ohio Department of Insurance with any insurance questions at 800-686-1526, consumer.services@insurance.ohio.gov, and www.insurance.ohio.gov.
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