Record-High Losses for Weather Disasters in the United States During the 1990s: How Excessive and Why?

During 1990–1996 the United States experienced record-setting insured property losses due to numerous weather catastrophes, each event causing $100 million or more in losses (1991 dollars). The total loss in this 7-year period, after adjustment to inflation and other factors, was $39.65 billion with $15 billion coming from one event, Hurricane Andrew. In the 1990s, 72 catastrophes occurred, half of the total number in the 40 preceding years, 1950–1989. Although the total loss and the number of catastrophes were exceptionally high in the 1990s, the average loss per event was $551 million, only slightly more than the $467 million average for catastrophes during 1950–1989. Furthermore, storm intensities in the 1990s were slightly less than those during the preceding 40 years, revealing the excess losses of the 1990s to be a result of an extremely large number of damaging storms causing losses exceeding $100 million. Examination of historical values of most weather extremes including hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes, did not show an increase during the 1990s, revealing that weather changes were not the principal cause of more catastrophes. Examination of recent demographic shifts in the U.S. reveals two changes, each based on major re-locations to higher-valued property concentrated in areas either with a high frequency of damaging storms (Gulf and East Coast), or to where even a small but intense storm can cause huge losses (urban areas and West Coast). These shifts, plus the continuing growth of population in other storm-prone areas have greatly increased society's vulnerability to storm damage. An in-depth analysis of many conditions was required to establish that the high losses and numerous catastrophes of the 1990s were largely the result of societal changes and not major weather changes. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 1998