A violent tornado that has swept through the US state of Missouri has killed 116 people with the damage estimated to be over $1billion, says risk and loss estimator Eqecat.
Hundreds of people are still missing and the estimate of possible losses from the deadly mega-tornado on insured property was only preliminary, Eqecat stressed.
The city of Joplin was the worst hit. City Manager Mark Rohr said the twister cut through the center of the town and left a nearly six-mile-long path in the middle of the city.
5,000-10,000 buildings and houses, or up to 75 per cent of the total in the small city is said to have been destroyed.
An unknown number of people have been injured as the tornado struck churches, schools, businesses and homes.
Rescures are to begin a door-to-door search of the damaged area amid safety risks caused by downed power lines, jagged debris and a series of gas leaks that caused fires around the city overnight.
The tornadoes come less than a month after a major storm system that generated a series of violent tornadoes left over 350 people dead across nine states in the US.
Missouri tornado death toll at 116
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