CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Ohio Department of Insurance says rates for homeowners coverage rose 6.9 percent in the state last year and a likely reason is Hurricane Ike.
The storm's remnants battered Ohio in fall, resulting in a torrent of claims that officials say helped to drive up premiums.
Ohio rates for auto insurance also increased in 2008, though by a more modest 0.8 percent.
Insurance department analysts expect homeowners and car insurance premiums will continue to rise this year.
Department director Mary Jo Hudson says Ohio still has some of the lowest insurance rates in the nation. For example, she says the state has the sixth lowest howeowners premiums, averaging $542 per year. The national average is $801.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
