JERSEY CITY, N.J., January 14, 2008 — U.S. property/casualty insurers are expected to pay homeowners and businesses $6.5 billion for 2007 property losses from 23 catastrophes — the eighth lowest cost in a decade and the seventh lowest frequency for the same period, according to preliminary analysis by ISO’s Property Claim Services Unit.
PCS estimates that insurers paid 1.18 million claims for damage in 41 states resulting from 2007’s 23 catastrophes. More than 721,000 personal lines claims accounted for $4.4 billion, while 144,000 commercial lines claims cost an estimated $1.3 billion, and 315,000 vehicle claims cost insurers an estimated $800 million.
The 23 catastrophes consisted of 17 severe weather events (wind, hail, tornadoes, and flooding), five winter storms, and one wildland fire.
Among the 41 states experiencing insured losses from catastrophes, following are the states with the largest losses:
State |
Loss ($) |
California |
$1.23 billion |
Minnesota |
$747 million |
Texas |
$677 million |
Georgia |
$320 million |
Illinois |
$272 million |
Oklahoma |
$270 million |
Kansas |
$262 million |
Missouri |
$223 million |
New York |
$202 million |
Colorado |
$200 million |
Alabama |
$200 million |
The costliest events to insurers in 2007 were severe weather that resulted in $1.35 billion of insured damage from Texas to Maine, and the Witch Fire in San Diego County, California, which resulted in an estimated $1.1 billion in losses.
“For the second year in a row, the United States dodged a devastating hurricane,” says Gary Kerney, assistant vice president, PCS. “With the exception of Humberto, which made landfall in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana in September, no other hurricane made landfall on U.S. territory in 2007. However, catastrophes continue to occur and cause insured property damage that may not adversely affect the financial condition of most insurers, but do cause hardship to hundreds of thousands of policyholders.”
Fourth quarter 2007
PCS estimates that insurers paid $1.7 billion of insured property loss resulting from four catastrophes between October and December 2007 — the fourth costliest fourth-quarter in the last decade.
The four catastrophes caused insured damage in nine states and a total of 159,000 claims. Following are the states with the largest insured losses in the fourth quarter:
State |
Loss ($) |
California |
$1.2 billion |
Oklahoma |
$188 million |
Washington |
$95 million |
Oregon |
$70 million |
Missouri |
$57.5 million |
Following is the breakdown of fourth-quarter catastrophe activity during the past decade:
Year |
Insured Loss ($) |
Frequency |
1998 |
$480 million |
3 |
1999 |
$265 million |
2 |
2000 |
$815 million |
4 |
2001 |
$485 million |
4 |
2002 |
$1.73 billion |
6 |
2003 |
$2.6 billion |
5 |
2004 |
$450 million |
3 |
2005 |
$10.8 billion |
5 |
2006 |
$1.5 billion |
6 |
2007 |
$1.7 billion |
4 |
ISO’s PCS unit defines a catastrophe as an event that causes $25 million or more in insured property losses and affects a significant number of policyholders and insurers.
About PCS
ISO’s Property Claim Services (PCS) unit serves property/casualty insurers and reinsurers as an authoritative source of catastrophe loss information, providing estimates of anticipated industrywide insured losses arising from catastrophes. The estimates reflect the total insurance payment for personal and commercial property items, business interruption, terrorism, workers compensation, and additional living expenses. The estimates exclude loss adjustment expenses.
About ISO
A leading source of information about risk, ISO provides data, analytics, and decision-support services to professionals in many fields, including insurance, finance, real estate, health services, government, human resources, and risk management. Using advanced technologies to collect, analyze, develop, and deliver information, ISO helps customers evaluate and manage risk. The company draws on vast expertise in actuarial science, insurance coverages, fire protection, fraud prevention, catastrophe and weather risk, predictive modeling, data management, economic forecasting, social and technological trends, and many other fields. To meet the needs of diverse clients, ISO employs an experienced staff of business and technical specialists, analysts, and certified professionals. In the United States and around the world, ISO helps customers protect people, property, and financial assets.
Release: Immediate
Contacts:
Giuseppe Barone / Erica Helton
MWW Group (for ISO)
201-507-9500
gbarone@mww.com / ehelton@mww.com