Independent adjusters are expected to be out in full force aftera weekend full of damaging tornadoes ripped through theMidwest.

According to reports, more than 75 tornadoes touched down in themiddle of the country, causing destruction that affected Iowa,Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota on Friday evening andSaturday morning. Particularly hard hit was the small town ofGreensburg, Kan., located in the southwest region of the state,which was devastated by the twister. The town was already declareda major disaster area on Saturday because of the extent of damagesit sustained from what has been reported as a mile-wide twisterthat packed 205 mile-per-hour winds. This kind of wind speed wouldrank the storm as an "EF-5," the highest level possible in thetornado classification system used by the National WeatherService.

Anticipating the need for adjusters, several insurancecompanies, including HYPERLINK "http://www.safeco.com" SafecoInsurance , announced the deployment of their catastrophe claimteam, with other insurers following close behind.

"Our customers in the Greensburg area have suffered significantdamages from Friday's storm, which was one of the most devastatingtornadoes we've seen in Kansas," said Robert Johnston, Safeco'snational property claims leader, in a release issued yesterday."We're on the ground to assist Greensburg-area customers, and we'removing quickly to help others throughout the region."

Third-party adjusting firms also are anticipating an increaseddemand for their services because of the extent of damages that canoccur in a tornado. Experienced independent adjusters likely havealready started fielding phone calls for their services.

"With tornado claims, you see a lot of total losses and a lot ofwind shear, where the tornado just shears off the side of abuilding or a corner and damages a structure's frame," said MelvynHuckaby , director of training and catastrophe liaison for WindPolicy Specialists , a provider of independent claim services basedin Texas. "Tornadoes can tear off a roof and they can knock downstructures, so you have a lot of falling objects, which can act asrocket-propelled objects at times. These are typically high-dollarclaims, but at the same time there's going to be a lot of smallclaims under $5,000, too."

According to the HYPERLINK "http://www.iii.org" InsuranceInformation Institute , tornadoes are covered under standard homeand business insurance policies for physical damage to property.There is also coverage for the cost of additional living expensesand business interruption. Damage to cars is covered under thecomprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy.

In an average year, the National Oceanic AtmosphericAdministration reports that more than 1,000 tornadoes occurnationwide. In 2006, these storms caused more than $8 billion ininsured property damages, according to an A.M. Best study. Texashas the highest average annual occurrence rate, but in 2005, Kansastopped the list of states with the most tornado activity with136.

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