Flirting with disaster: 2006 may seem like a quiet year for catastrophes so far--there have been no Katrinas, Ritas or Wilmas--but natural catastrophes don't need a first name in order to wreak disaster.Before the 2006 hurricane season Hurricane season refers to a period in a year when hurricanes usually form. For more information see: Tropical cyclone#Times of formation. For a lists of past seasons, see:
For the first six months of 2006, catastrophes caused about $5.27 billion in insured The person who obtains or is otherwise covered by insurance on his or her health, life, or property. The insured in a policy is not limited to the insured named in the policy but applies to anyone who is insured under the policy. insured n. losses, 86% higher than the $3.07 billion in cat losses for the first half of 2005, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. Property Claim Services. At $5.27 billion, the first half of 2006 ranks fifth in first-half insured catastrophe losses over the past 10 years. The worst first half was in 2001, which had $6.9 billion in catastrophe losses, followed by the first half of 2003 with $6.5 billion. However, the 2006 hurricane season so far has proven to be milder than the devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. seasons of 2004 and 2005. Preliminary nine-months 2006 cat losses are $6.1 billion, compared with $50.9 billion for the first nine months of 2005 and $27 billion for 2004. Most losses for 2006 stem from wind, tornadoes, thunderstorms thunderstorms a storm characterized by thunder and lightning caused by strong rising air currents; identified as agents of animal disease because of their involvement causing (1) spasmodic colic; (2) lightning strike; (3) injuries of cattle acquired in stampedes initiated by storms. and flooding Refers to various denial-of-service techniques that saturate a critical resource, leading either to system failure or to the exclusion of legitimate access. See e-mail bombing, Fraggle attack, smurf attack and SYN-flood attack. . However, with hurricane season running until Nov. 30, total losses from catastrophes in 2006 have plenty of potential to rise higher. 2006 CATASTROPHES: Severe weather in 2006 included storms that destroyed a home east of Dyersburg Dyersburg, city (1990 pop. 16,317), seat of Dyer co., NW Tenn., near the Mississippi River; inc. 1850. It is a processing and industrial center for a fertile cotton and farm area. , Tenn., on April 3, top left, and then swept through Crossville Crossville is the name of a few places in the United States:
Louis, 1682–1712, titular duke of Burgundy; grandson of King Louis XIV of France. He became heir to the throne on the death (1711) of his father, Louis the Great Dauphin. metropolitan area in July July: see month. , top right.
2006 Catastrophes Year-to-Date
About 26 catastrophes have occurred as of early September.
Period State(s) Perils
Jan 14-15 CT, NJ, NY, PA Flooding, Freezing, Wind
Jan 18-19 CT, MA, NJ, NY, PA Freezing, Ice, Wind
Feb 3-4 OR, WA Flooding, Wind
Feb 17-18 MA, NH, NY Freezing, Wind
Mar 8-10 AL, AR, KY, MS, TN, TX Flooding, Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
Mar 11-13 AR, IL, IN, KS, MO, OK Flooding, Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
Mar 19-20 TX Flooding, Hail, Wind
Apr 2-3 AR, IL, IN, KY, MO, TN Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
Apr 6-8 AL, GA, IN, KS, KY, Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
NE, OH, TN
Apr 13-15 IA, IL, IN, WI Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
Apr 20-21 TX Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
Apr 23-25 KS, OK Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
Apr 28-30 LA, MO, TX Flooding, Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
May 1-7 TX Flooding, Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
May 9-10 AR, TX Flooding, Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
May 12-16 MA, ME, NH Flooding, Wind
May 13-15 TX Flooding, Hail, Wind
May 24-25 IL, OH Flooding, Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
Jun 18-22 IN, OH, WI Flooding, Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
Jun 25-28 DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA Flooding, Wind
Jul 17-19 MI, NJ, NY, PA Flooding, Hail, Wind
Jul 19-21 IL, KY, MO, TN, WI Flooding, Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
Jul 27-28 OH Flooding, Wind
Aug 23-25 IL, IN, MN, WI Flooding, Hail, Tornadoes, Wind
Aug-29 / DE, FL, MD, NC, NJ, Flooding, Tornadoes, Tropical
Sep-3 NY, SC, VA Storm, Wind
Aug 30-30 WV Flooding, Hail, Wind
Period State(s) Storm Family Estimated
Loss
($)
Jan 14-15 CT, NJ, NY, PA Winter Storm 105,000,000
Jan 18-19 CT, MA, NJ, NY, PA Winter Storm 125,000,000
Feb 3-4 OR, WA Wind and 55,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Feb 17-18 MA, NH, NY Winter Storm 85,000,000
Mar 8-10 AL, AR, KY, MS, TN, TX Wind and 140,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Mar 11-13 AR, IL, IN, KS, MO, OK Wind and 920,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Mar 19-20 TX Wind and 50,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
1st Quarter Total 1,480,000,000
Apr 2-3 AR, IL, IN, KY, MO, TN Wind and 500,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Apr 6-8 AL, GA, IN, KS, KY, Wind and 1,080,000,000
NE, OH, TN Thunderstorm
Event
Apr 13-15 IA, IL, IN, WI Wind and 795,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Apr 20-21 TX Wind and 160,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Apr 23-25 KS, OK Wind and 355,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Apr 28-30 LA, MO, TX Wind and 75,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
May 1-7 TX Wind and 315,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
May 9-10 AR, TX Wind and 50,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
May 12-16 MA, ME, NH Wind and 60,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
May 13-15 TX Wind and 65,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
May 24-25 IL, OH Wind and 45,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Jun 18-22 IN, OH, WI Wind and 70,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Jun 25-28 DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA Wind and 215,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
2nd Quarter Total 3,785,000,000
Jul 17-19 MI, NJ, NY, PA Wind and 90,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Jul 19-21 IL, KY, MO, TN, WI Wind and 195,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Jul 27-28 OH Wind and 36,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Aug 23-25 IL, IN, MN, WI Wind and 280,000,000
Thunderstorm
Event
Aug-29 / DE, FL, MD, NC, NJ, Tropical Storm N/A
Sep-3 NY, SC, VA Ernesto
Aug 30-30 WV Wind and N/A
Thunderstorm
Event
3rd Quarter Total 601,000,000
Grand Total 5,866,000,000
Source: ISO Property Claims Services
Catastrophe Losses
($ Billions)
Six-months losses Nine-months losses Full-year losses
2004 3.37 27.0 27.5
2005 3.07 50.9 61.5
2006 5.27 6.1 ?
Source: ISO Property Claims Services
Note: Table made from bar graph.
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