Farm Bureau Financial processed more than 44,000 claims from clients whose homes, businesses and vehicles were damaged by historic wind storm.

When he emerged from his basement after the Aug. 10 derecho, James Ford could hardly believe the damage to his farm. The storm’s winds, which topped out at 140 miles per hour in eastern Iowa and lasted for some 40 minutes, badly damaged the roof of his home, destroyed outbuildings and toppled the farm’s trees.

“Debris was scattered for half a mile, I bet. It was everywhere, just all over the place,” the Linn County Farm Bureau member said.

But soon, like hundreds of other Farm Bureau Financial Services (FBFS) client/members in Iowa whose homes, businesses and vehicles were damaged by the derecho, Ford quickly discovered the real value of having Farm Bureau insurance.

Randy Strnad, Ford’s Farm Bureau Financial Services agent, quickly contacted his client, even though the storm had knocked out power...