Loss estimates arrive for Winter Storm Ciarán/Emir

Verisk reports that insured losses from the storm that socked Europe in early November could reach $1.39 billion.

An explosive cyclogenesis rapid deepening of an extratropical cyclonic low-pressure area.  These dangerous storms also are referred to as bomb cyclones, weather bombs, meteorological bombs, and or a bombogenesis. This photo from 2017 illustrates such a storm developing over the Pacific Ocean. (Credit: Japan Meteorological Agency/Wikipedia Commons)

A windstorm generally needs four factors to mushroom into a “bomb cyclone,” or explosive cyclogenesis: Low pressure, strong temperature change, rapid intensification, and plenty of water.

All of these elements came together to a violent degree in late October and November, when Winter Storm Ciarán formed over the central United States before gain speed and strength on its way to Europe, where it caused as much as € 1.3 billion (or roughly $1.39 billion) in damage, according to Verisk’s extreme event solutions business unit.

This disaster has also been dubbed Winter Storm Emir Emir by the Free University of Berlin.

Local news coverage of the catastrophe hints at its destruction: Downed trees and power lines, windblown buildings, flooded streets and vehicles tossed around like Matchbox cars. A swath of Europe was impacted by the storm, with serious damages seen in the Tuscany region of Italy, which was far from the center of the storm, northwest France and the Channel Islands, Verisk reports.

The storm also whipped up tornado conditions in some affected areas. “The large amount of tree-related damage from this storm was exacerbated by the fact that most trees in the region still have leaves on them and the ground was quite saturated, making it more likely for trees to become uprooted or fall over,” Verisk said in a press release about the event.

The global data analytics and technology provider added that its loss estimates do not include:

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