Insurance claims for tornadoes hit $140m

Insurance claims filed by victims of this month’s tornadoes have risen to $140 million, according to state officials, dwarfing previous estimates and reflecting the devastation after the storms tore through Western Massachusetts June 1.

Victims have come forward with 8,200 claims, Joseph Murphy, commissioner of the Division of Insurance, said Thursday. The damage estimates are expected to swell as nine Federal Emergency Management Agency-operated recovery centers open in the next few days to help residents apply for federal aid.

Initial reports from June 7, more than a week after tornadoes ravaged 19 communities and left three people dead, estimated claims at $90 million just for destruction to homes. Thursday’s figure includes $5 million in commercial property claims and $15 million in auto insurance filings on top of an additional $30 million for residential damage.

Despite the new figures, officials say the extent of the disaster is proving hard to measure. When inspectors first fanned out across the tornado-stricken area, they picked through some 1,400 substantially damaged homes and estimated damage at about $25 million, enough to qualify for federal relief.

“But we know there’s much more than that,’’ said Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency spokesman Peter Judge.

Authorities may never be able to tally the exact total because some residents may not ask for FEMA funds, relying on insurance claims, he added.

“People ask me, ‘How big is the disaster?’ ’’ Judge said. “I’ll tell you when everybody stops registering.’’

Starting today, officials expect hundreds of tornado victims in Springfield and West Springfield, two of the hardest-hit communities, to flood two federal disaster recovery centers in search of assistance from FEMA and Small Business Administration representatives. Seven more centers are slated to open over the next few days in Westfield, Agawam, Wilbraham, Brimfield, Southbridge, Monson, and Sturbridge.

Local residents can also go to the centers for help from various state agencies, including the Department of Transitional Assistance and the Division of Unemployment, Judge said.

A trip to the centers is not necessary to receive aid, which can take several forms, including funding for temporary housing or repairs, cash for emergency clothing and food, or loans for rebuilding homes. Claimants can register for relief online at www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.

There is no cap on the number of communities, businesses, or individuals that can collect federal relief, Judge said. But there are restrictions: For example, people will only receive enough to pay for what their insurance does not cover.