On the cusp of the one-year anniversary of the multi-vortex EF5 tornado that devastated Joplin, MO, we spoke with someone who is intimately familiar with the aftermath of the powerful weather system that ravaged a community and commanded the national spotlight, as well as a visit from President Obama. 

Todd Klingaman, director of property large loss claims at CNA Insurance, recently presented at the PLRB/LIRB conference in Orlando, Fla., with a panel of experts, including H. Dwight Douglas, JD, General Counsel for Freeman Health System in Joplin. Together, the panelists offered perspectives from virtually all levels of claims experience with both commercial and personal lines. 

As Klingaman explains, Joplin represented the first encounter with destruction of this magnitude for many first-time catastrophe adjusters deployed there. However, even the most seasoned adjusters, claims managers, and vendors were not quite emotionally prepared for the scenes and tasks before them. Regardless, they possessed the wherewithal to secure medical services, housing, and a fresh start for the affected. Klingaman and Douglas, who also serves as the president of Joplin Tomorrow, share their very personal journeys and triumpths in our one-year retrospective in the upcoming June 2012 issue. For a sneak peek, visit the Claims channel on PropertyCasualty360.com.