Damages from recent tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma and Kansas.
Powerful tornadoes tore through the states of Kansas and Oklahoma over the weekend, causing significant damage to businesses and homes as well as claiming lives. The National Weather Service claims that the weather system responsible for the disasters created more tornadoes in one day than either Kansas or Oklahoma would normally see in the month of April. Insurers have been working in cities affected by the tornadoes, hoping to mitigate any further damage and to process claims quickly to help residents reclaim some semblance of stability in their lives.
In Oklahoma, tornadoes claimed the lives of five people, three of whom were young children, after storm sirens failed to warn residents of the city of Woodward, which stood in the path of the disaster. Approximately 89 homes and 13 businesses were destroyed by the tornadoes in the small city, with a total of 29 people being injured by the storm. Insurers and agents have already begun working in the state to help ease the plight of policyholders.
The Kansas city of Wichita sustained major damage from tornadoes over the weekend, but there have not yet been any serious injuries reported. The tornadoes that struck the city caused grievous damage to businesses and other property, as well as leaving several mobile home areas decimated. Agents from Farmers Insurance have appeared in Kansas to help manage claims and help citizens recover from the disaster. Recover is expected to be a long process at this time.
The governors of Oklahoma and Kansas have declared a state of emergency in their states, which will grant insurance companies and recovery personnel access to special disaster funding and resources provided by the federal government. The National Storm Prediction Center has released a preliminary estimate that suggests that at least 98 tornadoes were formed over the weekend. These tornadoes were experienced in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma. The National Weather Service notes that this year’s tornado season began unexpectedly early, which meant that communities in the U.S.’s infamous “Tornado Alley” little time to prepare for the disasters that they would face.
There are currently no estimates regarding the cost of the damage caused by these storms is available.
