ISO ranks Kansas tornado a catastrophe

JERSEY CITY, N.J. —The Insurance Services Office Inc.'s Property Claim Services unit has declared damage caused last week by severe weather in parts of Kansas to be a catastrophe, meaning that insured damage will reach at least $25 million.

A tornado late Friday destroyed nearly all of Greensburg, Kan.—a town of about 1,500 people about 110 miles west of Wichita. The tornado, which local officials estimated damaged at least 95% of Greensburg, killed at least 9 people.

On Sunday, President Bush declared Kiowa County, of which Greensburg is the county seat, a disaster area.

PCS defines a catastrophe as an event that causes at least $25 million in insured property damage and that affects a significant number of property/casualty insurance policyholders and insurers.