Welcome, and a look back
May 29, 2009
With the effects of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season still fresh on many minds, the 2009 season is already upon us.
Last year brought the Atlantic Basin 16 named storms, eight of which reached hurricane status and five that were classified as major hurricanes. Property Claim Services (PCS) estimated personal, commercial and auto insured losses due to tropical activity at $14.5 billion, driven notably by Hurricane Ike, which made landfall in Galveston, Texas, early in the morning on September 13.
The damage in Texas and Louisiana, coupled with unusual damaging winds in the Midwest associated with Ike’s remnants, resulted in an estimated $11.7 billion in insured losses. Total loss estimates of the costliest U.S. hurricanes on record place Ike at number 4 of all time.
To help you better understand the risk to tropical activity and provide real-time information and educational insight, Towers Perrin has expanded our hurricane Web site for the 2009 season. Towers Perrin’s Hurricane Center gives you one site to gather vital storm information to help make effective decisions as the systems approach. Additionally, we provide links to expert analysis and opinion on developing systems to enhance your knowledge of hurricane science.
We welcome your comments and questions!
- Zack Schmiesing, Towers Perrin
