Reinsurance News

catastrophe

Lower cats, but elevated attritional losses to hit P&C re/insurers in Q1: Analysts

8th April 2019

While Catastrophe activity in the first-quarter of 2019 was muted when compared with other Q1s, elevated attritional losses in the period is expected to pressure the margins of some Property and Casualty (P&C) insurers and reinsurers, warn Goldman Sachs analysts. Specifically, analysts highlight the potential for exposure to large non-cat losses for ... Read the full article

NFIP will absorb majority of Florence losses, says Fitch

20th September 2018

Traditional reinsurers and insurance-linked securities (ILS) markets are expected to experience only modest levels of losses from Hurricane Florence, with the majority likely to be absorbed by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), according to Fitch Ratings. Florence weakened to a Category 1 hurricane as it approached the U.S coast last ... Read the full article

Verisk to offer aerial catastrophe imagery via Geomni

17th September 2018

Data analytics provider Verisk has announced that it plans to offer its customers free access to high-resolution aerial imagery following major loss events via Geomni, a Verisk business with a database of address- and location-based  property analytics. Geomni will provide online access to before-and-after imagery of structures and properties inside a ... Read the full article

Further cat losses may impact casualty and specialty lines: JLT Re’s Harrison

11th September 2018

While property catastrophe lines of reinsurance would likely prove resilient to a second consecutive year of heavy catastrophe losses, casualty and specialty lines might feel the impact more severely, according to Keith Harrison, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for UK & Europe at JLT Re. Both traditional reinsurers and alternative capital markets ... Read the full article

Hurricane Florence could cause insured losses of $20bn, says RMS

11th September 2018

Insured losses from Hurricane Florence, the Category 4 storm currently bearing down on the U.S east coast, could cause insured losses of between $15 billion and $20 billion, according to catastrophe modeller Risk Management Solutions (RMS). Meanwhile, data analysis from CoreLogic shows that storm surge damage from Florence could threaten 758,657 ... Read the full article

Hawaii braces for $8bn property damage as Hurricane Lane approaches

23rd August 2018

More than 48,000 homes are threatened with flood damage as Hurricane Lane bears down on the U.S state of Hawaii, with total reconstruction costs expected to total around $8 billion, according to catastrophe risk modelling specialist CoreLogic. While unlikely to make a direct landfall, Hurricane Lane became a strong Category 5 ... Read the full article

Half of Australia’s Hobart storm claims paid as insured losses reach $100mn

21st August 2018

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has announced that over half of the insurance claims relating to the flooding and storm that hit the Australian city of Hobart, Tasmania over May 10-11 have now been closed as the insurance bill nears AUD $100 million (USD $73 million). The $99.72 million figure ... Read the full article

Nat cats drive losses in 2018 but totals down significantly: Swiss Re

16th August 2018

Global economic losses from catastrophes in the first-half of 2018 declined to $36 billion, year-on-year, with $20 billion, or 56% being covered by re/insurance, according to reinsurance giant Swiss Re's preliminary sigma estimates. The $36 billion economic loss total represents a decline of 44% from the $64 billion recorded by Swiss ... Read the full article

Drought and wildfires drive global catastrophe losses in July: Impact Forecasting

10th August 2018

Global insured catastrophe losses in July were primarily driven by severe droughts and heatwaves across Northern Europe, as well as major wildfires that caused extensive damage and loss of life in Northern California and Greece, according to Impact Forecasting, Aon’s catastrophe risk modeller. Impact Forecasting’s report estimated that ongoing drought in ... Read the full article

California’s Carr wildfire continues to spread, marking worst season in decade

30th July 2018

The Carr wildfire, which hit Shasta county in Northern California last week, has claimed at least six lives and destroyed or damaged more than 1,000 structures, and continues to spread despite efforts to contain the blaze. The fire more than doubled in size over the weekend, driven by strong winds and ... Read the full article

Typhoon Maria drives economic losses of at least $432mn in China: Impact Forecasting

13th July 2018

Typhoon Maria has caused at least US $432 million in economic damages, primarily in the Fujian province of China, after making landfall as a Category 2 storm on July 11, according to Impact Forecasting, Aon’s catastrophe risk modeller. After reaching typhoon status on July 5, Maria tracked across the Western Pacific, ... Read the full article

Insured U.S weather losses totalled $3bn in June: Impact Forecasting

12th July 2018

The severe weather events that affected the eastern two-thirds of the U.S over June 2018 are estimated to have caused around US $4 billion of combined economic damage, $3 billion of which is expected to be covered by re/insurers, according to Impact Forecasting, Aon’s catastrophe risk modeller. Impact Forecasting’s monthly Global ... Read the full article

Widespread destruction following historic Japan floods

9th July 2018

Japan has suffered some of the worst flooding in its history over the weekend, with more than 100 people confirmed dead and widespread damage to homes and businesses reported. "The record rainfalls in various parts of the country have caused rivers to burst their banks, and triggered large scale floods and ... Read the full article

Favourable 2017 reinsurance market insulated homeowners insurers: A.M. Best

29th June 2018

Homeowners insurers were able to absorb 2017’s devastating catastrophe losses with relative ease due to the favourable reinsurance environment that has prevailed in recent years, according to A.M. Best. The rating agency found that the reported combined ratio for homeowners insurers in 2017 was 107.1, which was only marginally higher than ... Read the full article

Flood damages could double if coral reef destruction continues

28th June 2018

Annual expected damages from floods could double without the coastal protection benefits afforded by coral reefs, while annual storm damages could triple, according to a new study by Nature Communications. The study identified coral reefs as a vital component of coastal protection for both people and property, and calculated that, for ... Read the full article