As illustrated by the 2004 and 2006 hurricane seasons, the severity of losses due to hurricanes can vary drastically -- challenging insurers to be prepared for the unknown at all times. Marked by a record six consecutive tropical cyclones striking land, the 2008 hurricane season once again tested insurers' response strategies by causing damages across a wide range of geographical regions from southern Texas to northern Ohio and as far east as Virginia.

After the continental United States experienced two successive seasons in 2006 and 2007 without hurricane landfall, the 2008 season became one of the most active on record. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Hurricane Center, the 2008 season tied for fifth place as the most active season since 1944. A total of eight hurricanes formed during the season, which also represented the fourth most active in terms of named storms (16) and major hurricanes (five).

Furthermore, NOAA reports that 2008 was the tenth season in 14 years to produce above-average hurricane activity, and it was the first season to have a Category 3 hurricane form in the Atlantic in five consecutive months. Such increased levels of activity, coupled with growing populations and increased risk inventories in coastal areas, have led insurers to carefully reassess exposures and overall response capabilities when a hurricane-related catastrophe strikes.