Twisters Hit Record High Early in Season in Midwest

One account said that the tornado that hit Seneca, Mo., was a mile wide and traveled 60 miles on the ground before starting to dissipate.

On May 4, 2008, the residents of Greensburg, Kan., remembered the anniversary of the tornado that destroyed their town, killing 11 and injuring 60. The tornado outbreak did not end there; a total of 84 tornadoes were confirmed the next day, May 5, in the same area. Most were in open country but one fatality was reported in Ottawa County, Kansas near a county lake. Fourteen more tornadoes were confirmed on May 6 in the same general area before the activity subsided (“see page 8, “One Year After Tornado, Greensburg Still Struggling to Survive).

What’s Next?

Even more disheartening is that this year, in 2008, experts are saying there is an unusually high number of tornadoes that have already hit towns in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma … and it’s only May.

The National Weather Service reported 910 tornadoes as of May 13. In 2007, the total number of twisters for the entire season, March through August, was 1,093. The National Severe Storms Laboratory in a report to the Associated Press said that the highest number of tornadoes recorded in any year by May 11 was 676 and that was in 1999. We are well ahead of that number already. The National Weather Service added that 100 people have already died in tornadoes this year.

Midwest Twisters

On May 10 of this year a category K-4 tornado hit three states and killed 15 people in Southwestern Missouri. We know that Texas has powerful storms, but Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri are right there high up on the list. One account said that the tornado that hit Seneca, Mo., was a mile wide and traveled 60 miles on the ground before starting to dissipate. In addition to the dead, 180 people were injured, many who had taken shelter in their automobiles.

Educational Opportunities

The old saying that there isn’t much you can do about weather is true. However, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) President and Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger recently issued a release reminding consumers to educate themselves on how to protect their belongings including video taping possessions. The NAIC’s national survey revealed a significant lack of preparedness among consumers in documenting their belongings. Nearly half — 48 percent — said they did not have an inventory of their possessions. Of those consumers who reported having a checklist, 32 percent had not taken any pictures and 58 percent had no receipts validating the cost of their possessions. In addition, 44 percent of respondents acknowledged that they had not stored their inventory in a remote location.

Educating policyholders about these types of preparations may help prevent disputes over claims after the fact … and that would be a good thing.