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LOS ANGELES, June 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmers Insurance's® newly published Summer Seasonal Smarts Digest analyzes trends in summer claims to warn homeowners of sources of potential damage by region, particularly weather hazards like hail and lightning, allowing customers to prevent avoidable damage.

According to the Seasonal Smarts Digest, Summer 2016 edition, nearly half (49 percent) of all lightning claims and more than one-third of hail claims filed annually occur during the summer months. In fact, based on the data from Farmers Insurance, the incidence of lightning claims increases by 120 percent in the summer compared to the spring season.

Summer means travel and vacation for millions of Americans, whether it's a week or two or just a relaxing day trip. However, if unprepared, homeowners may come home to an unpleasant surprise, such as burst pipes, leaky water heaters, hail damage or even a burglarized home, as criminals often look to take advantage of unoccupied homes during peak travel times in the year.

"Summer is a wonderful time of year with warmer weather, longer days and the chance to spend more time outdoors, but it's important for homeowners to recognize that summer brings a number of unavoidable weather issues," said Paul Quinn, head of claims customer experience with Farmers Insurance. "Our data shows that severe weather will take a toll on homeowners, who should look for ways to mitigate damage ahead of time, especially if they will be taking a vacation at any point during the summer and unable to take quick action to minimize damage before an oncoming storm."

Farmers Insurance Seasonal Smarts Digest offers a number of steps travelers can take before leaving and while away from home to reduce potentially unpleasant surprises:

• Unplug anything that doesn't need to stay plugged in (i.e., televisions and computers).
• Schedule a friend or neighbor to stop by the house randomly (to avoid a pattern or anticipated time) to remove boxes from the doorstep, check the mail, get notices and fliers from the door, etc.
• Consider shutting off the water for your washing machine, dishwasher and toilets if you're going to be away for an extended period of time. This can help prevent unpleasant surprises when you get home. You can also install wireless leak sensors in flood-prone areas like your basement, laundry room or bathroom, to notify you of leaks before significant damage is done.
• Keep expensive and irreplaceable items like old family photos, art work, electronics and stamp collections off the ground in case of water damage. Keep them up on shelves and water-proof containers.
• If you have outdoor furniture, bring items like glass tables, chairs and umbrellas inside to avoid damage to yard items or the exterior of your home.
• Avoid posting on social media while away on vacation. If the temptation to post is unavoidable, ensure that all possible security measures are in place on all social sites.
• Today's smart home technology means electronics and lights can be controlled remotely, often through an app. Schedule random timers for lights throughout the home to deter burglars and vandals.
• Most hotels provide an in-room safe. Place items that will fit inside the safe. For larger items, hide them within your luggage or under clothing in the drawers. Avoid leaving items out and visible.

The complete Farmers Seasonal Smarts Digest, detailing summer's common and uncommon hazards as well as safety and preparedness tips to help keep homeowners and their homes safe, can be found online at http://www.farmers.com/news/seasonal-smarts.

About the Farmers Seasonal Smarts Digest

The Farmers Seasonal Smarts Digest is released four times per year to provide drivers and homeowners with knowledgeable, straightforward and proactive tips to help mitigate potentially dangerous and costly insurance losses. The digest examines a three-year window (2013 to 2015) of Farmers Insurance's historical claims database to identify seasonal perils and the states where they most commonly occur.

About Farmers Insurance

"Farmers Insurance®" and "Farmers®" are tradenames for a group of affiliated insurers providing insurance for automobiles, homes and small businesses and a wide range of other insurance and financial services and products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 10 million households with over 19 million individual policies, across all 50 states, through the efforts of more than 48,000 exclusive and independent agents and approximately 21,000 employees. Farmers Insurance Exchange, the largest of the three primary insurance insurers that make up Farmers Insurance, is recognized as one of the largest U.S. companies on the 2015 Fortune 500 list. For more information about Farmers Insurance, visit Farmers.com, Twitter and Instagram, @WeAreFarmers, or Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance.

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SOURCE Farmers Insurance