WINDSOR, Colo. -- As residents in Northern Colorado began cleaning up the damage left behind by Thursday's storms, they turned to their insurance companies for help.

Based on preliminary estimates, the damage from the hail, wind and tornadoes are adding up to an estimated 20,000 claims and $147 million in insured damage to cars and homes from last Thursday’s fierce storm, according to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association.

They said the estimated 8,000 property claims range from glass and roof damage to homes ripped from their foundations and completely destroyed from the force of the tornado. The estimated 12,000 auto claims range from everything to hail dents on cars to totaled vehicles.

Christina Laznicka, with Allstate, toured one of the tornado-stricken homes with 7NEWS and said there are several things people should look for when filing a claim with their adjuster. She said check your walls for cracks. The cracks could mean there is a shift in the foundation. She also said check your ceilings for brown spots or wet marks those are signs of a leaky roof. If you have a water and ice maker on your refrigerator check to see if they are still hooked up, if they're not you could end up with leaking water. She also suggests flushing your toilets to make sure the water is lining up, if it's not that could also mean you have leaks in your plumbing.

Laznicka said most of your appliances and electronics are covered under home insurance. She suggests documenting all these items using a camera. A visual record of your property helps expedite the claims process.

The first check you receive is not the final payment, it's an advance against your settlement. If you find more damage to your home, you can re-open a claim though most policies require it be re-opened within a year of the disaster.

Prior to this storm, all of Colorado’s most costly disasters occurred in the Denver-metro area, where the largest concentration of property in the state is located.

Previously, Colorado’s most costly tornado caused an estimated $20 million in damage to Limon, Colo. on June 6, 1990.

Colorado’s 10 Most Costly Storms:

$625 million insured hail damage: July 11, 1990.

$276.7 million insured hail damage: June 13-14, 1984.

$225 million insured hail damage: October 1, 1994.

$147 million insured tornado and hail damage: May 22, 2008

$146.5 million insured hail damage: June 8-9, 2004.

$128 million insured hail damage: August 11, 1997.

$122 million in insured hail damage: May 22, 1996.

$100 million in insured hail damage: May 30 – June 2, 1991.

$93.3 million insured damage from heavy snow and ice: March 18-19, 2003.

$87.8 million insured damage: October 16, 1998.