If one could use only a single word to sum up 2011, “catastrophes” best captures what this year was all about.

January started on a soggy note with large pockets of Australia under water, as floods caused insured losses of up to $3 billion. Just the next month, the Southern Hemisphere suffered again, as New Zealand saw a 6.3 earthquake that toppled buildings in Christchurch and led to claims north of $10 billion (part of a nightmarish, 12-month stretch where Kiwis experienced multiple quakes, including one in September of 2010 and another one in June of this year).

Then, for a few unforgettable weeks in the late winter and spring—from the massive Japanese earthquake and devastating tsunami that followed through the spate of tornadoes that ravaged the U.S. in April and May—it seemed like a major disaster struck every other day.