Severe storms and tornadoes have swept through the central United States, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. At least two people have been reported dead and numerous homes and businesses have been destroyed in several states. Emergency services and rescue teams are working around the clock to search for survivors and assess the damage caused by the severe weather conditions. This deadly outbreak of storms serves as a reminder of the destructive power of nature and the importance of being prepared for such events.
Strong storms sweeping across central parts of the US have left a trail of destruction, killing at least three people and causing injuries, power shortages and damage to homes and buildings. The US National Weather Service issued tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings for Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa on 19 May, calling on people to find secure shelter. Multiple tornadoes hit central Oklahoma leaving two dead in the small town of Cole,120 miles south of Oklahoma City. The numbers of those injured were unknown as hundreds of people participated in search and rescue operations. The Airport and Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee were also badly damaged during the storms. At the height of the storm, more than 23,000 customers were without electricity.
A number of people found safety underground with reports of residents being trapped in their shelters as mailboxes were blown away. Reports also emerged of some people riding out the storm in a manhole.
This spring has seen many tornadoes, which have traveled across the South, Midwest and Northeast of the US resulting in many fatalities. The storm damage has caused more than $5bn in insurance claims which are likely to rise. Following natural disasters of this nature, property owners and insurance companies must work together to originate replacements and repairs to homes and businesses. It is expected that the majority of financial costs will be absorbed by insurance companies with the remainder being paid by residents, businesses and the state.
Oklahoma is located in the heart of what is known as ‘Tornado Alley’ which is an area stretching from South Dakota to northern Texas that receives the greatest number of tornadoes than any other area in the world. The storms from the recent tornadoes mark the beginning of what is expected to be another severe tornado season.
The mayor of Moore, a town hit by a devastating EF5 tornado in 2013 killing 24 people and injuring 377, has urged residents to install storm shelters. Following the 2013 storm, the mayor announced that all new structures must have a reinforced storm shelter. While the majority of people have taken this on board, many have yet to follow this recommendation with the cost and space required seen as prohibitive. Moore is not the only town which has moved to install storm shelters. There have been similar moves in Oklahoma City since the tornado in 2013.
In response to the natural disaster, citizens of Oklahoma have begun fundraising campaigns to help those in need. In particular, efforts are being made to assist those who lost family members, those whose homes and/or vehicles were destroyed, and those hospitalised with injuries. The state authorities have opened shelters and relief centres in affected areas, and although some towns have been hit worse than others, most areas have been affected.
In an interview with the Independent, John Wiscaver, of the Oklahoma Insurance Department, said: “The challenge with tornado damage is you’ve got a fair amount of data on number of homes, business and commercial properties damaged. But the dollar amount of damage is more dependent on the individual home, individual business and commercial properties.” MR Wiscaver believes the combined value of the storm damage is “going to be pretty large. We’ve already had quite a bit of loss from some earlier storms, and this is not even the peak season.”
In previous years, tornados have caused upwards of $30bn or more than £20bn of insured losses to hit the US economy so this year looks set to be equally costly.
