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U.S. NEWS Thursday 10 augusT 2017

Insurer: Miami is more vulnerable to hurricanes like Andrew

By JENNIFER KAY Center, said wind patterns CATASTROPHIC LOSSES ed losses: $100 billion to pected to exacerbate
Associated Press and warmer-than-average On Aug. 24, 1992, Andrew $300 billion, including in- storm surge flooding. Even
MIAMI (AP) — Almost 25 water temperatures that blasted ashore about 20 sured losses up to $180 bil- a moderate rise of 3.5 inch-
years have passed since a can fuel storm develop- miles southwest of Miami lion. es by the 2030s could in-
Category 5 hurricane struck ment are expected to per- with winds topping 165 mph crease storm-surge-related
south of Miami, and the losses along South Florida’s
city’s vulnerability to cata- coastline to roughly $11 bil-
strophic storm damage has lion, said Megan Linkin, a
grown exponentially, ac- meteorologist and natural
cording to a new insurance hazards expert at Swiss Re.
underwriters’ analysis. That’s particularly troubling
At the time, Hurricane An- because even a tropical
drew was the most expen- storm can cause major
sive natural disaster in U.S. coastal flooding.
history, causing more than For example, Sandy’s enor-
$26 billion of damage in mous size drove catastroph-
Florida’s most populous ic storm surge onto the New
areas, including $15.5 bil- Jersey and New York coast-
lion in insurance payouts. lines even though the storm
Stringent building code en- weakened and lost its tropi-
forcement followed in Mi- cal characteristics before
ami, but so did population making landfall in October
growth, coastal develop- 2012. Causing more than
ment and climate change. $50 billion in losses, Sandy
“Our concerns lie with the now ranks as the second
fact that even though In this June 22, 2017 photo, beachgoers enter the water even though double-red flags are flying, most costly hurricane to hit
we’ve made good chang- warning of dangerous conditions and extremely rough surf in the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy, the U.S., ahead of Andrew
es, 25 years later you have in Seaside, Fla. U.S. government forecasters gave coastal residents more reasons Wednesday to and surpassed by only Hur-
a much larger population worry and prepare for disaster: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s updated ricane Katrina.
hurricane season forecast predicts 14 to 19 named storms, with five to nine hurricanes. Two to five
living in Florida, and people hurricanes are expected to be “major” with sustained winds of at least 111 mph (178 kph).
forget what can happen (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato) PROTECTION GAPS
or they don’t know what Swiss Re now estimates the
could happen,” said Mon- sist throughout the tropical (265 kph). The hurricane STORM SURGE combined residential val-
ica Ningen, chief property Atlantic Ocean and Carib- killed 15 people and indi- For all the extreme condi- ues in three Miami-area
underwriter for the U.S. and bean Sea. rectly caused the deaths tions Andrew produced, counties are roughly $660
Canada at Swiss Re. Six tropical storms have of 25 more in Miami-Dade storm surge flooding from billion and commercial val-
U.S. government forecast- formed so far this year, in- County alone, according the compact hurricane ues are about $550 billion.
ers gave coastal residents cluding two that hit the U.S. to the National Hurricane was relatively minor in Flor- Insuring those properties
more reasons Wednes- A National Hurricane Cen- Center. ida. The abnormal rise of can be expensive and
day to worry and prepare ter advisory said Tropical Andrew destroyed 25,524 sea levels, driven ashore difficult in Florida. Only
for disaster: The National Storm Franklin became Hur- homes and damaged an- by storm winds, can be a 19 percent of the state’s
Oceanic and Atmospheric ricane Franklin on Wednes- other 101,241; nearly all the hurricane’s most deadly homeowners have flood
Administration’s updated day afternoon as it ap- mobile homes in its path hazard, but no one died insurance. Many insurers
hurricane season forecast proached Mexico’s central were completely lost. because of Andrew’s storm stopped renewing hom-
predicts 14 to 19 named Gulf coast. If a similar hurricane bar- surge — a fact the hurri- eowner policies after eight
storms, with five to nine Swiss Re, a Switzerland- reled down the same track cane center considered “a hurricanes hit the state
hurricanes. Two to five hur- based reinsurance com- today, Swiss Re estimates fortunate aberration.” in 2004 and 2005, forcing
ricanes are expected to pany, released an analy- damage would range from According to hurricane property owners into the
be “major” with sustained sis Wednesday estimating $80 billion to $100 billion, in- center records, only $96 state-managed insurance
winds of at least 111 mph the losses if a hurricane cluding up to $60 billion in million in federal flood company created 10 years
(178 kph). similar to Andrew’s size and insured losses. claims were reported after after Andrew, which law-
Gerry Bell, lead seasonal strength hit Miami and its Should a similar hurricane Andrew. makers intended to act
hurricane forecaster at suburbs today. target Miami directly, Swiss Rising sea levels caused as Florida’s insurer of last
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Re estimates unprecedent- by climate change is ex- resort.q