KCC issues insured loss estimate from Tropical Storm Cristobal

Cristobal made landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast on June 8, packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.

Rudy Horvath walks out of his home, a boathouse in the West End section of New Orleans, as it takes on water a from storm surge in Lake Pontchartrain in advance of Tropical Storm Cristobal, Sunday, June 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

On Wednesday (June 10), the Karen Clark & Company (KCC) released estimates on the insured loss from Tropical Storm Cristobal that hit Louisiana earlier this week.

Based on its U.S. Hurricane Reference Model, KCC estimates that the insured loss from Tropical Storm Cristobal will be close to $150 million.

KCC’s approximation includes the privately insured wind and storm surge damage to residential, commercial, and industrial properties and automobiles, and it does not include NFIP losses.

Cristobal’s impact

Cristobal made landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast on June 7, packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The tropical storm weakened as it crossed Louisiana and Mississippi, becoming a tropical depression on Monday morning while it continued to move across Louisiana.

Power outages were reported in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, along with minor coastal flooding from storm surge impacts in Louisiana and Florida. More significant flooding was reported near Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana, Waveland, Miss., and Mobile, Ala.

KCC says restoring power has been complicated by restrictions due to COVID-19.

In Louisiana, drones were employed to increase the efficiency of utility worker deployment, and crews were limited by personnel restrictions required due to pandemic-related social distancing. The KCC report says this provided utility companies with a “practice run” for more severe infrastructure disruption that’s possible later this hurricane season.

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