If you look at a map of the United States, one could make a casethat Joplin, Mo., is the heart of the country.

A year ago on May 22, at about 5:40 p.m., that heart was brokenwhen a tornado with winds of more than 200 mph ripped through thecity of about 50,000 people. But with insurance playing a largerole, Joplin is recovering and rebuilding.

“The insurance industry has done a commendable job,” John M.Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance, tellsNU, adding that the tornado is the state's largestinsurance event ever. So far insurers have paid about $1.5 billionon claims, and it is expected that number will approach $2 billionby the time all claims are settled.

The twister tore up the city's high school and a major hospitalwhile damaging more than 7,500 structures. The storm took the livesof 161 people.

Once it subsided, carriers “hit the ground running,” says Huff.“They had their catastrophe teams out helping customers.”

Technology played a huge role in the recovery right from thestart, he says. The department immediately posted informationonline and kept in electronic contact with carriers. Carriers usedcomputers in mobile command centers to plot where insureds werelocated, get information on damages, and keep track ofpolicyholders' claims statuses.

“Insurers were immediately distributing funds—issuing checks ordebit cards for expenses,” says Huff.

At the six-month mark after the storm, Huff's office held anevent to get a “pulse check” of the recovery and insurance-paymentprocess. Within the first 100 days of the tornado, insurancecompanies doled out $1 billion to Joplin policyholders.