2016 costliest 12 months for natural catastrophes in the last four years: Munich Re
January 4, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterThe US$175 billion in natural catastrophes losses in 2016 – the lion’s share of which were uninsured – dwarfed those in the previous year and were just shy of 2012’s US$180 billion total, Munich Re reports. The research released Wednesday…
Flood insurance ‘must be affordable:’ IBAC
December 16, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterResidential flood insurance should be available and affordable and the government should provide a backstop without being an “insurer of first resort,” the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada said in a document released this week. Personal flood insurance “must be…
Total economic losses from nat, man-made disasters in 2016 at least US$158 billion: Swiss Re sigma estimate
December 15, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterTotal economic losses from natural and man-made disasters in 2016 were at least US$158 billion, 68% higher than the US$94 billion losses in 2015, according to preliminary Swiss Re sigma estimates released on Thursday. The US$158 billion estimate in total…
Dufferin County offers rebates to property owners who install hurricane straps
December 13, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterDevelopers and property owners in Ontario’s Dufferin County are eligible for rebates if they install hurricane straps in their buildings, a county official says. Hurricane straps, which are metal bands that wrap around trusses and connect to walls, “can largely…
Canadian couple among the dead in Tennessee wildfire
December 2, 2016 THE CANADIAN PRESSGATLINBURG, Tenn. – A couple from Canada is among the victims of a wildfire that ravaged the Smoky Mountains resort city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Authorities say 71-year-old Jon Tegler and 70-year-old Janet Tegler are among 13 people who have died…
First above-normal Atlantic hurricane season since 2012 produced five landfalling U.S. storms: NOAA
December 1, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe first above-normal Atlantic hurricane season since 2012 has produced five landfalling storms in the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Wednesday. The Atlantic, eastern Pacific and central Pacific 2016 hurricane seasons ended on Nov.…
Fitch changes U.S. P&C insurance industry outlook to negative from stable
November 30, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterFitch Ratings has changed the fundamental sector outlook for the United States property and casualty insurance industry to negative from stable, reflecting recent declines in profitability and anticipated further earnings deterioration in 2017 due to more competitive market conditions. Fitch…
Wildfires scorch tourist area in Tennessee; thousands flee
November 29, 2016 Steve Megargee and Jonathan Mattise - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – Wildfires fueled by high winds roared through parts of the Great Smoky Mountains, burning the doorstep of the Dollywood theme park, destroying a resort and chasing thousands of people from their homes. National Guard troops arrived…
Extreme weather events can be modelled as “independent” by global reinsurers, Lloyd’s and Met Office study confirms
November 28, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterExtreme weather events can be modelled as “independent” by global reinsurers when assessing many of their key aggregate risks around the world, confirmed a new report from Lloyd’s, the world’s only specialist insurance and reinsurance market, and the Met Office,…
Otto enters Pacific after devastation, 4 dead in Costa Rica
November 25, 2016 Luis Manuel Galeano - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMANAGUA, Nicaragua – Tropical Storm Otto killed at least four people in Costa Rica and then headed into the Pacific Ocean Friday after making landfall as the southernmost hurricane on record to hit Central America. Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo…
Thanksgiving floods in Atlantic Canada caused more than $100 million in insured damage: CatIQ
November 18, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterA tropical moisture system resulting from Hurricane Matthew that swept through Atlantic Canada last month has resulted in over $100 million in insured damage, according to Toronto-based Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). A cold front interacting with Matthew’s tropical…
2016 set to be hottest year on record: World Meteorological Organization
November 14, 2016 by Canadian Underwriter2016 is “very likely” to be the hottest year on record, with global temperatures even higher than the record-breaking temperatures in 2015, according to an assessment by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nation’s agency on weather, climate and…