Insured Losses from Europe’s Storm Eleanor/Burglind Estimated at $1.3B-$1.9B: AIR

Insured losses from winter Storm Eleanor/Burglind, which hit northern Europe on Jan. 3, will range between €1.1 billion ($1.3 billion) and €1.6 billion ($1.9 billion), according to estimates from catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide.

The majority of wind-related losses are expected in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Lower levels of loss are also expected in Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, and Sweden, said AIR Worldwide, which is a Verisk business.

Winter Storm Eleanor, known as Burglind in Germany, was the fifth named European winter storm of the season and fourth major storm to make landfall since December, AIR said.

The storm brought wind gusts of up to 100 mph (160 kilometers per hour) in Ireland, causing flooding along the Atlantic coast, said AIR, noting that the system then passed across the UK, where the Met Office reported wind gusts of 100 mph (160 km/h) in Cumbria in the north of England and 89 mph (143 km/h) on the Isle of Wight off the South Coast.

Wind gusts of 91 mph (147 km/h) were recorded in Cambrai in northern France and 67 mph (108 km/h) in Paris, the strongest winds since storm Xynthia in 2010. Switzerland saw gusts of 75 mph (120 km/h); the Netherlands had wind of 87 mph (140 km/h), and Germany recorded gusts of 98 mph (158 km/h).

Strong winds brought structural damage in Ireland, the UK, France, and Germany, where roofs were damaged or blown off, scaffolding was stripped from buildings, and signage was destroyed. Trees were blown down across continental Europe and the UK. In addition, AIR said, transportation disruption was rampant and there were widespread power outages.

Flooding was also reported in affected countries.

AIR’s estimates reflect wind damage to onshore residential, commercial, and industrial properties; agricultural properties (and their contents); automobiles; and forestry in Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

AIR said its modeled insured loss estimates do not include:

• Losses due to coastal or inland flooding
• Business interruption and additional living expenses (ALE) for residential claims for all modeled countries, except the UK
• Losses to uninsured properties
• Losses to infrastructure
• Demand surge,

Source: AIR Worldwide