Winter Storms

Winter storms caused an estimated $3.5 billion in insured losses in 2015, up from $2.6 billion in 2014, according to Munich Re. From 1995 to 2014 winter storms resulted in about $27 billion in insured catastrophe losses (in 2014 dollars), or more than $1 billion a year on average, according to Property Claim Services (PCS).

Inflation-Adjusted U.S. Insured Catastrophe Losses By Cause Of Loss, 1996-2015 (1)

(2015 $ billions)

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Adjusted for inflation through 2015 by ISO using the GDP implicit price deflator. Excludes catastrophes causing direct losses less than $25 million in 1997 dollars. Excludes flood damage covered by the federally administered National Flood Insurance Program.
Includes other wind, hail, and/or flood losses associated with catastrophes involving tornadoes.
Includes wildland fires.
Includes losses from civil disorders, water damage, utility service disruptions, and any workers compensation catastrophes generating losses in excess of PCS’s threshold after adjusting for inflation.

Source: Property Claim Services (PCS®), a Verisk Analytics® business.

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OVERALL AND INSURED LOSSES FROM WINTER STORMS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1980-2015

(2015 $ billions)

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U.S. WINTER STORM LOSS TRENDS, 1980-2015

(2015 $ billions)

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Top 15 Costliest U.S. Winter Events By Insured Losses, 1980-2015 (1)

($ millions)

				Losses when occurred
Rank	Date	Event	Location	Overall	Insured (2)	Deaths
1	Feb. 16-25, 2015	Winter storm, winter damage	CT, DC, DE, IL, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT	$2,800	$2,100	39
2	Mar. 11-14, 1993	Blizzard	AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV	5,000	2,000	270
3	Jan. 5-8, 2014	Winter damage, cold wave	AL, CT, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WI	2,500	1,700	NA
4	Apr. 13-17, 2007	Winter storm, tornadoes, floods	CT, DE, DC, GA, LA, MA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, TX, VA, VT, WV	2,000	1,600	19
5	Mar. 13-15, 2010	Winter storm, floods	CT, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI	1,700	1,200	11
6	Apr. 7-11, 2013	Winter storm	CA, IN, KS, MO, NE, SD, WI	1,500	1,200	NA
7	Dec. 10-13, 1992	Winter storm	CT, DE, NJ, NY, MA, MD, NE, PA, RI, VA	3,000	1,000	19
8	Jan. 31-Feb. 3, 2011	Winter storm, snowstorms, winter damage	CT, IA, IL, IN, KS, MA, ME, MO, NY, OH, PA, RI, TX, WI	1,300	980	36
9	Dec. 17-30, 1983	Winter damage, cold wave	FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY	1,000	880	500
10	Jan. 17-20, 1994	Winter damage, cold wave	CT, DE, IN, IL, KY, MA, ME, MD, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV	1,000	800	70
11	Feb. 10-12, 1994	Winter damage	AL, AR, GA, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA	3,000	800	9
12	Jan. 1-4, 1999	Winter storm	AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, LA, MO, MA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NJ, NY,OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV	1,000	780	25
13	Jan. 4-9, 2008	Winter storm	AR, CA, CO, IL, IN, KS, MI, MO, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, WA, WI	1,000	750	12
14	Jan. 31-Feb. 6, 1996	Winter damage	AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI	1,500	740	16
15	Feb. 24-25, 2013	Blizzard, winter damage	LA, OK, TX	1,000	690	1

Costliest U.S. blizzards and winter storms/damages based on insured losses when occurred.
Based on property losses including, if applicable, agricultural, offshore, marine, aviation and National Flood Insurance Program losses in the United States and may differ from data shown elsewhere.

NA=Data not available.

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