Post-tropical storm Irene lashes eastern and Maritime Canada

The verdict is still out on insured losses caused by Hurricane Irene’s three landfalls, but loss estimates for the Caribbean range as high as $1.1 billion.
The remnants of Hurricane Irene – which had weakened to a post-tropical storm – lashed parts of Quebec and the Maritime provinces on Aug. 29, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power, downing trees, and dropping up to 80 millimetres of rain, reported the CBC.
As of press time, the storm left more than 3 million people without power and 23 people dead in the US, and more than 200,000 without power and one man dead in Canada, the CBC reported.
As a Category 1 hurricane, the storm caused an estimated $200- to $400-million of insured losses on Aug. 26, when it made landfall in the Carolinas. Earlier that week, it caused an estimated $300- to $600-million in insured losses as a Category 3 storm in the Caribbean, reported EQECAT.
AIR Worldwide placed its preliminary loss estimate in the Caribbean between $500 million and $1.1 billion. AIR has retracted a preliminary loss estimate for Irene’s second landfall on the Carolinas of between $2 and $8 billion, as it did not represent the full track of Irene along the US eastern seaboard, a statement from the modeller said.
On Sunday, Aug. 28, it made a second US landfall as a Category 1 storm in New Jersey, before weakening to a tropical storm as it passed over New York City. Irene became a post-tropical storm as it passed over the US and Canadian border in the late evening of Aug. 28, reported RMS.
“On Monday, Aug. 29, it moved over Quebec City, moving north-northwest, with maximum sustained winds of 80 km-h and gale force winds extending 587 km from its centre,” the RMS release said. It’s expected to continue to track northeast over Canada, passing over parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland before moving into the Labrador Sea by Tuesday morning.
The large number of people left without power and forced to evacuate could have a significant impact on insurance losses from additional living expenses, particularly in the Northeast [US] where the cost of hotels and living expenses are higher, an AIR release said.
“Business interruption losses could also be significant. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled across the region. Atlantic City, usually bustling with activity, has been closed for two days, and hotels in New York City are well below capacity.”