Insured losses from deadly Missouri tornado could reach $1 to $3 billion
An EF4 tornado that ravaged Joplin, Missouri (population 50,000) on May 22 killed at least 116 people and injured at least another 400, according to preliminary reports from the U.S. National Weather Service.
Winds up to 319 kilometres per hour were also reported.
Catastrophe modeler EQECAT says that ongoing damage surveys may see this tornado upgraded to EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
The tornado is the deadliest to hit the US since 1947 and the first single tornado to claim more than 100 lives since 1953.
EQECAT said the tornado initially touched down at the Kansas-Missouri state line just southwest of Joplin and tracked east-northeast through residential/commercial areas of southwest Joplin proper. The tornado intensified as it tracked across Joplin, moving just south of the downtown area. The town suffered catastrophic damage as the tornado destroyed several schools, downtown businesses, and St. John’s Regional Medical Center.
Preliminary reports from emergency management officials in Joplin indicate that up to a quarter of the building stock (2,000 buildings) in the city have been destroyed. It is estimated that 5,000-10,000 buildings/houses (50-75%) have been damaged by the tornado’s wind field.
EQECAT is releasing a preliminary insured loss estimate of $1-$3 Billion for this event.
