Insured losses in Bermuda from Hurricane Gonzalo to range between $200 million and $400 million

Insured losses in Bermuda from Hurricane Gonzalo will range between $200 million and $400 million, catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide reported Wednesday. All figures are in U.S. dollars.

To produce its loss estimates for Hurricane Gonzalo using the AIR Tropical Cyclone Model for the Caribbean, AIR used track and intensity information from NHC advisories, vortex reports from hurricane hunter aircraft, and actual wind observations from stations in Bermuda.

The storm made landfall on the south-central coast of Bermuda on Oct. 17. “When the eye began to come onshore, the storm was still a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph sustained winds,” Scott Stransky, manager and principal scientist at AIR Worldwide noted in a statement.

“However, by the time the center passed overhead, Gonzalo had weakened to a Category 2 hurricane, with 110 mph sustained winds.”

“The strongest observed winds at Bermuda International Airport were 93 mph sustained, with gusts of 113 mph,” Stransky also noted.

AIR noted that Bermuda’s building codes are strictly enforced and provide criteria that buildings should sustain wind speeds of up to 110 mph and gusts up to 150 mph.

“Buildings are usually made of reinforced masonry or concrete, and tend to have smaller windows equipped with shutters. Older more traditional buildings are often made of limestone blocks,” it noted. “Light metal, which is highly vulnerable to wind damage, is used mostly for warehouses or repair shops and these may not meet code requirements.”

Many newer and well-maintained buildings that meet the codes stood up to the storm, with minor damage to roof areas directly exposed to the storm, according to AIR.

“Other damage mechanisms included damage due to flying debris. In addition, boats were torn from their moorings and subsequently left to drift freely, causing them to collide with other boats or run aground,” AIR noted. “Some boats that were housed onshore for repair or storage were blown onto their sides. High waves damaged piers and caused some coastal erosion.”