New Zealand floods News

RBNZ Says Insurance May Become Unaffordable for High-Risk Homes

New Zealanders who own properties in areas prone to flooding or earthquakes may find they can’t afford insurance or may not be offered cover for specific risks, according to the Reserve Bank. Rising premiums or the inability to insure are …

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 …

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 …

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 …

New Zealand Offers to Buy Out Owners of Cyclone, Flood-Damaged Homes

New Zealand’s government will help to buy out the owners of cyclone and flood-damaged houses in areas deemed susceptible to severe weather events, beginning a process of managed retreat in the face of climate change. Together with local councils, the …

New Zealand Pledges $720M for Cyclone and Flood Recovery

The New Zealand government said on Sunday it was allocating NZ$1.1 billion ($720 million) to help communities recover from a cyclone and floods that lashed the country this year. The funds from the 2023 budget are to cover “basics” of …

Insured Losses for New Zealand North Island Floods Estimated at NZ$1.8B: PERILS

Insured losses for New Zealand’s North Island floods of Jan. 27 to Feb. 2 are estimated at NZ$1.75 billion ($1.1 billion), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data. This second PERILS’ loss estimate has …

Global Insured Losses Estimated at $15B in Q1, With Economic Price Tag of $63B: Aon

Private and public insurance entities saw an estimated $15 billion of global losses during the first quarter – close to both average and median losses of the last 10 years, according to Aon’s Q1 Global Catastrophe Recap Report. However, potential …

Insured Losses From N. Zealand Floods Estimated at US$1.02B, With Profit Hit Expected

The initial insured losses for the recent floods in the North Island of New Zealand are estimated at NZ$1.65 billion ($1.02 billion), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data. Losses incurred so far in …

New Zealand Needs to Rebuild With Resilience to Extreme Weather: PM

After last week’s damaging cyclone, New Zealand needs to rebuild with more resilient infrastructure to cope with more frequent and intense weather events, the prime minister said Tuesday. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has described Cyclone Gabrielle, which caused widespread damage …