The costs of natural disasters in 2021 amounted to some 250 billion dollars (221 billion euros), according to a first estimate published Tuesday by the reinsurer Swiss Re. This figure is up 24% compared to 2020.

The bill for insurers is estimated at 105 billion dollars, up 17% from the previous year, said the Swiss reinsurer in a press release.

This is the fourth costliest year for insurance companies since 1970 to cover the costs of natural disasters, he said.

Ida, the costliest storm

The costliest natural disaster for insurers this year was Storm Ida, which led to flooding in New York, for which the bill for insurers is estimated at around $ 30 billion to $ 32 billion.

Then comes the winter storm Uri, with the cold wave that had spread to Texas, affecting the electricity network in particular, the damage borne by insurers being estimated at $ 15 billion.

The July floods in Germany and Belgium as well as neighboring countries were the costliest disaster in Europe, causing $ 40 billion in economic losses and a $ 13 billion bill for insurers.

Provisional estimates

However, these estimates are provisional.

They do not yet take into account the events that occurred in December which are still "under evaluation", underlines the Swiss group in the press release, which has not given any indication at this stage on the recent tornadoes in the United States. .

To these heavy disasters were added many so-called secondary natural disasters such as hailstorms in Europe in June, floods in the province of Henan in China as well as in British Columbia in Canada or the heat dome in Canada. and the rise in temperatures in the Mediterranean which led to major fires.

"It seems to have become the norm that at least one secondary hazard, such as a severe flood, a winter storm or a fire, generates losses of more than 10 billion dollars each year", underlined Martin Bertogg, the director of the branch specializing in natural disasters of Swiss Re, cited in the press release.

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