Tornado Destroys Kansas Town, Insurers Send Claims Personnel

A F5 tornado, one of the most powerful to hit the U.S. in years, swept through the small town of Greensburg, Kan. late Friday night destroying 95 percent of the town’s homes and businesses. Ten deaths have been blamed on the storms that swept through the town of 1,500 residents and then moved through neighboring states.

One insurer, Safeco Insurance, released a statement saying its claims teams are already in Greensburg. Safeco claims team members arrived in Southwest Kansas to assist customers in Greensburg, Kiowa County, which was declared a major disaster area Saturday.

Meanwhile, Safeco said additional personnel will be deployed throughout the region to help customers impacted by Saturday night storms. According to the National Weather Service, more than 75 tornado touchdowns were reported yesterday in South Dakota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

President Bush declared parts of Kansas a disaster area, freeing up federal money to aid in recovery.

Source: Safeco and Associated Press