CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Cold Snap Is State’s Third Worst Disaster

Damage claims in California from the December cold snap could make it the third most costly natural disaster in state history, two insurance companies say. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was No. 1 with $1 billion in insured damages, followed by the Oct. 17, 1989, Northern California quake that had insured losses of $681 million. State Farm and Farmers Insurance officials say the freeze will likely lead to claims of at least $150 million from homeowners. The Federal Crop Insurance Agency said that only 2% of the state’s citrus growers were insured against frost and losses are estimated at almost $330 million.