Insured damages from the May 4 tornado that leveled Greensburg are estimated to exceed $153 million, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger said Thursday.

Praeger, a Lawrence resident and former mayor, said that 33 insurance company groups – together representing about 85 percent of the top volume writers of the state’s market for property insurance – had paid $82 million in claims thus far.

Praeger said that the industry had been “exemplary in their response” to devastation in Greensburg, where about 80 percent of affected policyholders received emergency funds from their insurance companies within seven days after the tornado struck.

The Insurance Department thus far has received only one official written complaint out of more than 1,900 claims reported.

“Fortunately, most of the calls to the department regarding concerns from property owners were resolved quickly and informally in favor of those consumers,” Praeger said.

Policyholders who experience difficulties with insurance claims should contact their insurance agent first.

Unresolved problems or other questions may be directed to the department’s Consumer Assistance Hotline at (800) 432-2484, which is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.