Claims are piling up from extreme weather in the Southeast and Midwest that has kept insurers busy evaluating many thousands of damaged and destroyed homes.

Amidst news today that 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden had been killed, PropertyCasualty360 compiled this special report on the event by speaking with brokers on how it could affect the insurance market, explaining why TRIA matters more today than ever, and examining social networking's role in measuring terrorism risk.

Catastrophe-risk modeler EQECAT says the recent tornado outbreak is estimated to have caused $2 billion to $5 billion in insured losses.

Catastrophe-risk modeler EQECAT says the recent tornado outbreak is estimated to have caused $2 billion to $5 billion in insured losses.

Demand for insurance to cover terrorism risk, and the appetite of commercial insurers to write it, could grow following the killing of Osama bin Laden by United States forces.

Demand for insurance to cover terrorism risk, and the appetite of commercial insurers to write it, could grow following the killing of Osama bin Laden by United States forces.

The death of Osama bin Laden is good news to insurers—and to the U.S.—due to the manner in which operatives cornered the Al Qaeda leader, but by no means should it promote a dropping of the guard in the industry, says Gordon Woo, a catastrophist with Risk Management Solutions.

The countrys top personal-lines insurer says it has received more than 25,000 claims in recent weeks following severe weather in April that has reduced hundreds of homes to ruins and taken hundreds of lives.