(LISTEN): Tornado “hot spots” have shifted east into Missouri, Shelter Insurance president says

image 002 1

The president of Columbia-based Shelter Insurance says we’ve seen a shift in the “hot spots” for tornadoes over the past decade, with Missouri now being a top hot spot.

492927639 1108299591338568 2592217349859544834 n (1)
Easter Sunday’s EF-1 tornado destroyed Columbia’s material recovery facility at the city landfill (April 20, 2025 file photo courtesy of city of Columbia Facebook)

Shelter Insurance president Rockne Corbin joined host Fred Parry in-studio Saturday on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable” program. They discussed this spring’s numerous tornadoes and storms in Missouri and the Midwest:

“A decade ago Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska would have been our hot spots. At least for our portfolio the last few it’s shifted east: Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky. And this spring’s been no different,” Mr. Corbin says.

resized 1000001429 (002)
At least ten homes were destroyed or seriously damaged in the April 2, 2025 EF-2 tornado in Pilot Grove (April 2, 2025 file photo courtesy of KWRT Radio in Boonville)

Mid-Missouri’s Columbia, New Bloomfield and Pilot Grove have all seen tornadoes this spring. While there were no fatalities in any of those tornadoes, the Easter Sunday tornado that struck Columbia destroyed the city’s material recovery facility and damaged the landfill’s bio gas plant.

While Columbia-based Shelter Insurance has about $3.7 billion in annual revenues for their entire company, they are constantly looking at the future. Shelter president Corbin highlighted the importance of technology during the one-hour interview on Saturday, saying Shelter is now modernizing its core IT systems. It’s called the Monarch project:

“We’ve got to get faster, better, more responsive on technology. And that’s going to allow us to do that,” Mr. Corbin says.

building pan (002)
Shelter’s headquarters are located near West Broadway in Columbia. You can see their popular fountain from the road (2025 photo courtesy of Shelter Insurance spokesman Brad Johnson)

Shelter has about 1,300 Columbia-area employees and a $98-million payroll at their massive Columbia headquarters. Shelter opened its doors in 1946 as MFA Mutual Insurance, and they now operate in 21 states. Mr. Corbin, who grew up in Jefferson City and graduated from JC, began his career with Shelter as a claims adjuster and climbed many roofs after storms.

You can hear Mr. Parry’s full interview with Shelter president Corbin here.