Windstorms Friederike, Eleanor and Carmen inflicted damage across Western and Central Europe last month, killing at least 20 people, according to Aon Benfield's Global Catastrophe Recap report for the month of January. The most significant was Windstorm Friederike which killed at least 13 people and unleashed hurricane-force wind gusts and heavy rainfall in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the U.K.
The German Insurance Association (GDV) reported that Friederike was the costliest windstorm in the country since Windstorm Kyrill in 2007, with preliminary payouts listed at approximately USD$1.24 billion. Additional payouts exceeding USD$125 million were reported by other regional insurance groups.
In a statement, Michal Lörinc, an analyst with Impact Forecasting's Catastrophe Insight team, said: "A meteorologically active January resulted in elevated windstorm losses in Europe. When looking at the combined effect of storms Friederike, Eleanor and Carmen, windstorm-related economic and insured losses in Europe are already comparable to the annual totals recorded throughout 2017."
Related: 3 ways insurers can avoid a customer experience crisis during a disaster
|Across the globe
Other natural disaster events that have occurred elsewhere during January include the following:
- A powerful storm system and significant cold hit much of the central and eastern U.S. during the first week of January, killing at least 22 people. Total economic damage was estimated at $1.1 billion, while public and private insurers were expected to pay up to $750 million in claims.
- Numerous areas of low pressure and extended periods of frigid temperatures affected Northern and Eastern China. The greatest impacts were noted to the agricultural sector in Jiangsu, Anhui, Hebei, and Hunan. The Ministry of Civil Affairs cited winter weather damage of at least $1.8 billion.
- A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck just offshore of Peru's northern coast on Jan. 14, killing at least two people, injuring 137 others, and damaging or destroying 2,541 homes and other structures.
Related: Price tag for 2017 natural disasters could reach $353 billion
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Denny Jacob
Denny Jacob is an associate editor for NU PropertyCasualty360. Contact him at [email protected].
