catastrophe losses News

N.J. Group Urges Gov’t to Establish Extreme Weather Superfund for Future Disasters

A New Jersey-based nonprofit group is calling on the federal government to establish a permanent funding source to prepare for future natural catastrophes. The group, called US Strong, says in its new report that an increasing frequency of extreme weather …

Quiet Atlantic Storm Season Humbles Forecasters

The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season is humbling forecasters by shaping up as the first in almost two decades without a major storm, confounding predictions that it would be more active than normal. It’s been two weeks since the season’s statistical …

August’s Natural Disasters Caused $10B in Economic Damage: Aon Benfield

August saw billion-dollar flood losses in China, Russia, Philippines and Pakistan, bringing an initial combined estimate of $10 billion in economic losses, Aon Benfield said in a report on natural disaster perils. According to the report by the firm’s Impact …

A.M. Best: Outlook Negative for Columbia Mutual Insurance Co.

A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to negative from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of Columbia Mutual Insurance Co. (Columbia), Columbia, Mo., and its insurance subsidiaries. …

Alleghany Expects $288M Sandy Loss; Assurant Estimates $200M Loss

Alleghany Corporation said this week its preliminary estimate of after-tax loss related to Sandy — net of reinsurance and reinstatement premiums — would be approximately $288 million. Alleghany said this estimate reflects a consolidated pre-tax loss estimate, net of reinsurance …

Latest Sandy-Loss Estimates From Axis Capital, Platinum, Beazley

Axis Capital Holdings Ltd. said this week its preliminary estimate of the total net financial impact of Sandy is around $300 million — net of tax and estimated recoveries from reinsurance and including estimated reinstatement premiums. The Pembroke, Bermuda-based provider …

Travelers Insurance Reports Q2 Profit Despite Disaster Losses

Travelers Cos Inc. reported a second-quarter profit on Thursday but missed Wall Street expectations, as the insurer’s catastrophe losses fell from a year before but were still higher than historical norms. Travelers, a Dow Jones industrial average component, also said …

The Hartford Expects Q2 Catastrophe Losses Near $300 Million

The Hartford said that it expects to report current accident year catastrophe losses of $280 million to $300 million before tax in the second quarter of 2012, as compared to $447 million before tax in the second quarter of 2011. …

Chubb Expects Up to $240 Million in Q2 Catastrophe Losses

The Chubb Corp. expects to report $200 million to $240 million in catastrophe losses for the second quarter, before taxes, due to severe hail and wind storms in the U.S., the insurer said on Tuesday. The charges amount to 48 …

April Weather Caused $1 Billion in Insured Losses in U.S.: Aon

A series of severe weather events across central and southern sections of the United States in April caused upwards of $1 billion in insured losses, according to Aon Benfield’s latest edition of its Global Catastrophe Recap report. During last month’s …