Last week, I had the opportunity to spend a day in Joplin, Mo.,with members of the State Farm team—witnessing the company'sconcerted response to the devastating tornado that ripped throughthe city, leaving more than 140 dead and 1,000 injured (see myReporter's Notebook on page 6).

While the insurance industry istoo often viewed as the “bad guys” by the general public, that'sdefinitely not the case in Joplin right now, I can say with totalconfidence, based on all I heard and saw.

Indeed, after the first responders who risked their lives inrescue efforts, local insurance agents and the claims adjusters whohave arrived from all over the country are some of the most popularpeople in the city—seen as white-hat-wearing heroes who are theredoing all they can, 24/7, to help citizens reassemble theirshattered lives.

Jasmine Coleman is one of the State Farm employees with whom Ispent some time. She's a young, caring and charismatic catastrophefield claim representative, and we visited a policyholder's homethat had been leveled by the EF-5 killer (fortunately, the familysurvived in its basement safe room). While we toured the property(with the owner's permission), she relayed the followinginteraction with another policyholder who had lost her home:

“I happened to be out getting groceries [while wearing my redState Farm shirt], and a lady came up to me and asked me if I wasan agent. I said, 'No, Ma'am, I'm not. Do you need to get in touchwith your agent? I can absolutely assist you with that.' And shesaid, 'No, I really just want to tell you thank you.' From themoment she encountered a State Farm representative, they werenothing but kind to her, and she just wanted to express hergratitude for all that we'd done. To me, that was justawesome.”

Jasmine's colleague, Steve Simpson, another catastrophe fieldclaim representative, told the story of a policyholder who had noidea just how much protection her coverage offered. “There was awoman who slept in her car for the first week—because she didn'tknow additional living expense was available for her. When shefinally came to the office, I was able to get money in her handright away and help her find temporary housing that night—that'sone I'll never forget.”

Karen  Rutledge—who hasbeen a State Farm agent in Joplin for 25 years (and is both themother and daughter of an agent)—has been laboring literallynon-stop since the storm struck. Her level of caring for herclients is remarkable—truly epitomizing State Farm's “Like a GoodNeighbor” slogan.

“There was an elderly couple. I didn't have their home insured,but I did have their cars insured. And I could not make contactwith them. They did not have a cellphone. None of the land lineswere working—and I knew from their address they had the potentialof being in the middle of it. So I decided to go find them, andthey were at their house with one wall standing. Neither car wasdrivable—both were buried in the debris.”

“They had a little U-Haul truck next to the house and werecamping there with the dog. It was so warm that day, and they,though not in good health, were trying to dig through their things.He had cut his hand and had not had a tetanus shot. We all decidedit would be good if he went down to the Memorial Hall where theyhad set up a triage. So I put him in the car and took him downthere and stayed while they treated him—cooled him off, removeddebris from his eye. I took him back, and he just looked so muchbetter—and his wife was so relieved.”

I had my own personal encounter, too, with residents' positivefeelings toward anyone involved with insurance. I was filming bymyself in a neighborhood that had been absolutely flattened—thehorizon was visible in all directions because not a single housewas left standing.

A pickup truck with two burly men rolled to a stop next to me.They shot me some menacing looks and wanted to know if I was with“the damn media.” Uh-oh. I told them I was—with an insurancepublication. Their mood immediately changed. “Insurance?” said one.“My mother-in-law lost her house, and 'you guys' have been great.”They wished me a good day and drove off.

Insurance, when practiced right, as it in Joplin, can evenprotect non-policyholders.   

Bryant Rousseau

Editor in Chief