Initial industry losses for extratropical windstorm Ciarán, also known as Emir, are estimated at €1.9 billion (US$2.1 billion), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data.
The storm affected France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands from Nov. 1-2, 2023, with most of the losses related to wind claims in France, costing insurers €1.6 billion ($1.7 billion).
The PERILS’ estimates are based on loss data collected from affected insurers and cover the property line of business.
In line with the PERILS reporting schedule, an updated estimate of the market loss from Windstorm Ciarán (Emir) will be made available on Feb. 5, 2024, three months after the event end date.
The low-pressure system associated with Windstorm Ciarán initially formed off the coast of Newfoundland. The event was named “Ciarán” by the UK Met Office and “Emir” by the Free University of Berlin on Oct. 29.
Throughout the night of Nov. 1-2, Windstorm Ciarán’s central low tracked eastwards along the English Channel, before moving out over the North Sea by noon, said PERILS. During this period, the storm’s footprint covered the English Channel and coastal regions of southern England and northern France with heavy rain and extremely high wind gusts in some areas. As the system moved further across the North Sea with a weakening central pressure, strong winds affected Belgium and the Netherlands.
Through the evening of Nov. 2, Windstorm Ciarán further weakened before dissipating on Nov. 3.
The storm’s wind field was characterized by a narrow band of extreme winds over the English Channel. High winds extended to its north and especially to its south, impacting northern France, southern England, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Wind speeds were highest in Brittany and Normandy, as well as on the Channel Islands, and reached record levels not seen since the Great Storm of 1987.
The resulting losses to the insurance industry were typical for European windstorms in that a large number of smaller claims, stemming mostly from non-structural property damage, added up to a significant total, estimated by PERILS at €1.889 billion.
“Even though Windstorm Ciarán brought record winds to Brittany, its impact could have been much worse had the storm’s path been more southerly or northerly,” commented Christoph Oehy, CEO of PERILS.
“As it was, the most extreme winds tracked over the English Channel and hence spared large population centres. Nevertheless, the loss to the insurance industry was considerable, with France leading the tally by a significant margin, followed by the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands,” Oehy said.
“For France, which saw event losses estimated at €1.593 billion, Windstorm Ciarán is the largest loss since Windstorm Klaus in 2009. Looking at historical windstorm losses for France, such a windstorm loss level has an estimated return period of approximately once every 12 years.”
Ciarán was followed by extratropical windstorm “Domingos”, also known as “Fred”, which does not exceed PERILS’ reporting threshold of €300 million ($327 million) and will therefore not be reported on.
Source: PERILS
Photograph: Sea foam is whipped up in Penmarc’h, western France, on Nov. 2, 2023. Photo credit: Fred Tanneau/AFP/Getty Images
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