Joplin tornado draws $509M in insurance claims so far

Insurance companies so far have paid out $509 million in claims tied to the May 22 tornado that struck Joplin, and state officials said that’s probably just the beginning. “This will be the largest insurance event in Missouri history, and these numbers confirm that the insurance industry is playing a vital role in Joplin’s recovery,” John Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance, said in a release late Thursday.