Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfield's catastrophe model development team, has published the latest edition of its monthly Global Catastrophe Recap report, which evaluates the impact of the natural disaster events that occurred worldwide during April 2018.
The report highlights that five separate storm systems caused severe thunderstorms across the United States during the month, the strongest of which affected the Plains, Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast, with nearly 70 tornado touch-downs and up to baseball-sized hail that damaged residential and commercial property and vehicles. The same system also led to anomalous snowfall in the Upper Midwest and New England, while dry conditions behind the storm caused major wildfires in the Plains, notably in Oklahoma.
Total combined economic losses from convective storm-related damage in the US during April were estimated at USD2.3 billion, with public and private insurers expected to pay at least USD1.5 billion in claims.
Other natural disaster events to have occurred elsewhere during April include:
- Persistent flooding in Kenya killed at least 78 people, and caused extensive water damage to homes, cropland, and infrastructure. Regional governments indicated that total economic damage would near KES35 billion (USD350 million), including KES20 billion (USD200 million) alone to infrastructure.
- Further flooding and casualties were noted in the African nations of Somalia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Rwanda, damaging more than 10,000 homes.
- Extended cold and snow in China affected nearly 623,900 hectares (1.54 million acres) of cropland. Total economic losses were estimated at CNY9.38 billion(USD1.5 billion), primarily to the agricultural sector.
- Winter weather in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec resulted in total combined economic losses in excess of USD360 million, with insurance losses expect to exceed USD180 million.
- Torrential rainfall over the Hawaiian Islands led to widespread flooding, with at least 532 homes damaged or destroyed. The state government allocated at least USD125 million to flood repairs.
- Tropical Cyclones Josie and Keni impacted the Fijian islands. Combined damage to physical property, agriculture and infrastructure was estimated at more than USD10 million.
Read the report (PDF).
