Weather Risk

Like the crime scene investigators on popular television shows, insurers are using forensic meteorology to verify the real source of hurricane-related claims.

The main driver of the high insured losses was an active hurricane season in the North Atlantic. In addition, the combined insurance losses from all wildfires worldwide were $14 billion, the highest ever in a single year.

Lawsuits stem from the 2017 hurricanes and affected policyholders in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

From 1980 to 2018 there have been 230 $1 billion-plus events, with a total cost exceeding $1.5 trillion. Last year had the most, with 16 disasters costing more than $300 billion.

Look for 14 named storms, and there's a greater than normal chance of a major system striking the U.S., according to Colorado State University.

More than 400 homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged, and 21 people died as a result.