June 10, 2011
By: Carrie Van Brunt-Wiley
The tornado that killed more than 130 people in Joplin, Missouri, also damaged nearly 18,000 vehicles, according to a report.
Roughly 9,000 auto insurance claims have been filed in the wake of the storm, reported the Springfield News-Leader, and many more have been left to try to rebuild despite reduced transportation options. The city has expanded its trolley system and made it free to help mitigate the problem, though many residents have had to rent cars or borrow them from a family member. In the meantime, wrecked cars remain littered around the city's streets.
James Cain, the owner of one local tow truck service said he's offered his services for free to consumers who need to remove a destroyed vehicle but whose auto insurance may not cover the cost.
"There's no lying about it - we're here to make a living," Cain, of Comer's Wrecker, told the source. "But I try to give as much as I can. I know in my heart that I'm doing right by people."
The Joplin tornado was the deadliest in a rash of severe storms to hit the Midwest and South this spring. The risk modeling firm EQEQAT estimated potential business, home and auto insurance losses at $1 billion to $3 billion.
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