Hurricane Isaias to drive $1bn+ insured & economic losses

07.08.2020 713 views
Economic and insured loss totals from the impact of Hurricane Isaias are each individually expected to surpass the $1 billion threshold, according to analysts at Aon. Isaias swept across the Caribbean over July 28th to August 1st with notable impacts in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. It later tracked up parallel to the Florida Coast before landfalling in North Carolina on August 3rd as a Category 1 Hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 85mph. Significant impacts were experienced along a large portion of the eastern seaboard, including historic storm surge, hurricane force wind gusts, flooding rainfall, and damaging tornadoes. Isaias became the second hurricane, and the fifth storm to make landfall in the US during the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane season. Across the Dominican Republic, landslides and downed trees were reported across multiple provinces, while 131 towns were isolated due to flooding of streams and rivers. Preliminary surveys indicated 1,119 damaged homes throughout the country, with the most significant damage reported in Hato Mayor. In Puerto Rico, at least 438,000 customers lost power and several river gauges were recorded at above flood stage after portions of the island received between 6 to 10 inches of rainfall. And similarly, in the Bahamas, there were widespread reports of power interruptions, downed utility lines, fallen trees, and flooding, as well as storm surge damage and substantial crop loss. Hurricane Isaias brought only minimal impacts as it tracked up the coast of Florida, but brought notable storm surge across portions of coastal South Carolina. Following this, the storm brought 2 to 4 inches of rainfall to North Carolina, as well as hurricane force wind gusts reaching 99 mph at Federal Point, and multiple confirmed tornadoes. A NWS damage survey reported dozens of destroyed mobile homes, along with multiple single-story homes – some of which were left unrecognizable – while flooding inundated roadways and stranded vehicles. Aon reports that the hurricane then moved up across Virginia, where similar levels of inland flooding were reported, before tracking across Maryland and Delaware, where it caused more flooding and minor wind damage. Beyond this, Isaias continued to cause minor disruption in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York as it weakened significantly, although power outages and downed trees were reported as far as Connecticut and New Hampshire. While Aon believes that the economic and insured loss totals from Isaias will both eventually surpass $1 billion, it warned that it remains too early to provide a more precise loss estimate, given that damage surveys across the Caribbean, US and Canada remain on-going. Source - https://www.reinsurancene.ws
02.02.2026

USA - Record-Breaking Cold Hits South, Leaving Snow, Accidents and Crop Damage

Record-breaking cold gripped the Southeast this weekend, bringing heavy snow to parts of Tennessee and North Carolina, canceling flights across the region and threatening citrus crops in Florida.

02.02.2026

Ghana - Government deepens engagement with fish farmers to boost aquaculture sector

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Emelia Arthur, has concluded a two-day working tour of major aquaculture facilities across the Eastern, Volta, and Greater Accra Regions.

02.02.2026

India - Govt Social Security Insurance Coverage Crosses 125 Crore Policies

The Union government on Monday said it is steadily expanding the reach of affordable insurance across the country through a mix of low-premium social security schemes, regulatory reforms and digital outreach, with the long-term objective of bringing every citizen under some form of insurance protection by 2047.

02.02.2026

Study shows insect farming byproduct boosts soil health, reduces crop damage

With insect farming projected to produce millions of tons of insects in the coming years, Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers offer evidence that the insect farming byproduct called "frass" can improve soil health and reduce insect damage in soybean crops.

02.02.2026

USA - Winter weather creates hard work for local livestock farmers

While many residents were safely tucked inside during the snowstorm that hit the Shenandoah Valley on Jan. 25, Mindy Lipinski of Revercomb Farms in Bridgewater was not.

02.02.2026

USA - Statewide $10M agriculture innovation grant coming soon for Pennsylvania startups

Pennsylvania is reopening a funding opportunity for local agricultural technology companies, presenting another chance for startups in the space to level up their products.

01.02.2026

Australia - CSIRO’s research to tackle $150 million in crop loss

New research has unlocked the genetic code of a crop damaging fungus, opening the way for improved disease control

01.02.2026

India - Union Budget 2026 raises farm allocation but cuts crop insurance, keeps key schemes underfunded

Agriculture and allied activities saw an allocation of Rs 1.62 lakh crore, an increase of around 7 per cent compared to Revised Estimates of Rs 1.51 lakh crore in 2025-26.