2016 catastrophes News

Reinsurers’ Capital Likely to Remain Strong Despite Hurricane Matthew: S&P

While Hurricane Matthew has the potential to erode some of the global reinsurance sector’s excess capital, its overall capital position is not expected to deteriorate below the ‘AAA’ level, according to a report published by S&P Global Ratings. This would …

Hurricane Newton Hits Mexico with Threat of Flash Floods, Mud Slides

Hurricane Newton made landfall Tuesday morning in northwest Mexico and will probably cause damage from heavy rain. Cabo San Lucas, a popular tourist destination, will be hit by winds moving as fast as 90 miles (144 kilometers) an hour, according …

Typhoon Lionrock Makes Landfall in Japan, Bringing Landslides, Floods & Deaths

With strong winds, drenching rain, high surf, and coastal flooding, Typhoon Lionrock made landfall in the Tohoku region of Japan Tuesday evening local time, near the city of Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture, according to an advisory from catastrophe modeling firm …

Typhoon Lionrock Expected to Hit Japan’s Tohoku Region, Site of 2011 Tsunami

Typhoon Lionrock is projected to make landfall in Japan Tuesday and is likely to strike the northern Tohoku region, the area devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. It would be the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in …

Italy Quakes Could Lead to Limited Insured Losses: RMS & AIR Worldwide

Damage from the earthquake that struck central Italy on Aug. 24 and the subsequent aftershocks that followed is still being assessed. But RMS asserts that insurance losses will be limited because of property values and the lack of coverage. “A …

Italy Earthquake Unlikely to Trigger 200M Euro Cat Bond Cover: Investors

A powerful earthquake in Italy on Wednesday is unlikely to force UnipolSai’s 200 million euro ($226 mln) catastrophe bond into default as the bond has low exposure to the affected region, the Italian insurer said. The earthquake devastated a string …

Low Prices Ultimately Could Bite London Market Insurers: A.M. Best, PwC Reports

The business outlook for the London insurance market is a familiar one across other global markets: underwriting profits are under pressure as ongoing soft market prices begin to take a toll. In separate reports on the London market, both A.M. …

Update: Deadly Quake Hits Central Italy; Death Toll Continues to Rise

A powerful earthquake hit central Italy in the middle of the night, killing at least 120 people, in the latest challenge to Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi as he tries to speed up the country’s economy and overhaul its political …

Caribbean Cat Facility, CCRIF, Pays Belize for Excess Rain From Hurricane Earl

CCRIF SPC (formerly the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility) made a pay-out of US$261,073 to the government of Belize as a result of heavy rains from Hurricane Earl on Aug. 4-5. Rainfall from the hurricane caused widespread flood damage to …

Soft Prices May Bring Reinsurer Losses when Typical Cat Levels Return: Execs

It won’t take another Hurricane Katrina for reinsurers to face losses from covering the cost of storms and earthquakes. Competitors such as hedge funds have eroded prices so much that a typical year of claims could move the industry into …