CHICAGO:
Aon plc in its latest edition of its monthly Global Catastrophe Recap report, evaluating the impact of the natural disaster events that occurred worldwide during May 2019, has said that the total economic and insured losses in the US from the convective storm and flood were each anticipated to reach into the billions of dollars (USD).
No fewer than seven outbreaks of severe convective storms swept across central and eastern sections of the United States, the report said.
Preliminary local storm report (LSR) data from NOAA indicates that there were nearly 4,400 individual reports of tornadoes, hail, and straight-line winds – the most in May since 2011 in the USA.
Steve Bowen, Director and Meteorologist within Aon’s Impact Forecasting team, said: “Historically, May has been the most active month for tornadoes in the United States and 2019 was no exception, with the highest May tally since 2015. A persistent weather pattern led to several multi-day outbreaks of severe weather that resulted in tornadoes, large hail, damaging straight-line winds, and record-breaking rainfall which had a considerable impact on property and the agricultural sector. Severe convective storms have resulted in at least USD10 billion in U.S. insurance payouts annually since 2008, and we are likely headed towards a 12th consecutive year.”
Other natural catastrophe events to have occurred elsewhere during May include:
Ongoing drought conditions in China’s Yunnan Province affected more than 273,000 hectares (675,000 acres) of cropland at a financial cost of CNY953 million (USD138 million).
Prolonged rainfall impacted much of Paraguay, leading to widespread flooding that killed at least six people, led to the evacuation of over 40,000 residents, and caused significant harm to the cattle industry.