natural catastrophes News

Insured Price Tag for Natural Disasters Was $95B in 2023 With Economic Cost of $250B

Natural catastrophes in 2023 caused global economic losses of US$250 billion, with insurers and reinsurers paying US$95 billion of that amount, according to Munich Re. Last year’s insured losses of US$95 billion are close to the five-year average of US$105 …

AM Best: Japan Quake’s Effect on Insurers ‘Manageable; KCC Says Losses to Hit $6.4B

The earnings impact on the major domestic non-life insurers of claims from the Jan. 1, 2024 earthquake in Japan is expected to be manageable relative to the sector’s net profit, according to AM Best in a market commentary. Japan’s four …

Japan Earthquake Casts Cloud Over Push to Restart Nuclear Plants

The powerful earthquake that hit Japan’s western coast on New Year’s Day has underscored the country’s exposure to natural disasters, casting fresh doubt over a push to bring its nuclear capacity back online. Nuclear power plants dot the coast of …

A Return to Balance: Brokers Say Reinsurance Renewals Were ‘Stable’

This year’s January reinsurance renewals were described by brokers as “stable,” “predictable,” “orderly,” “calmer,” “disciplined,” with “increased appetites” and a return to supply/demand balance. What a difference in tone from last year’s grueling January renewals. “In a marked change on …

Japan Adds Rescuers as Death Toll From Jan. 1 Quake Rises to 64

The death toll in the wake of the Jan. 1 earthquake off Japan’s northwest coast rose above 60 as the government doubled the number of personnel dispatched to the affected areas to bolster rescue operations. The number of reported fatalities …

Turkey Earthquake Tops 2023 Insurance Industry Losses Outside US: CRESTA

The largest non-US natural catastrophe in 2023 was the Kahramanmaras Earthquake Sequence in Turkey on Feb. 6, which generated an industry loss of US$5.8 billion, the largest ever cat loss for the Turkish insurance market, according to CRESTA, the Zurich …

Climate Change Makes Forecasting Harder, Australia’s Agriculture Minister Says

Climate change is making it harder to accurately predict extreme weather events, said Australia’s agriculture minister Murray Watt, amid criticism the country’s meteorology department failed to provide timely warnings of this week’s deadly storms. “Climate change is having an impact,” …

Update: Major Japan Quake Topples Buildings, Killing Nearly 50 People

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that toppled buildings in the Noto Peninsula on Japan’s northwest coast rose to nearly 50 as rescue workers searched for survivors trapped under rubble. One of the places hardest hit from Monday’s magnitude-7.6 …

Extreme Weather in Germany Costs Insurers US$5.4 Billion in 2023: GDV

Extreme weather in Germany again caused high insurance claims this year, with an estimated price tag of €4.9 billion (US$5.4 billion) during 2023, according to the German Insurance Association (GDV). This extreme weather – also known as severe convective storms …

Top International Insurance Journal Stories of 2023

Yes, another year has flown by, and it’s once again time for the top international Insurance Journal stories of 2023. This year, they are a real hodgepodge of topics, ranging from hard market trends, to faulty wind turbines, to the …