Tag Archives: Hurricane Delta

Insurance Industry

Hurricane Delta insured losses estimated at up to $3 billion

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Flood waters from Hurricane Delta surround structures destroyed by Hurricane Laura on October 10, 2020 in Creole, Louisiana. Hurricane Delta made landfall near Creole as a Category 2 storm initially leaving some 300,000 customers without power. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Hurricane Delta made landfall in Creole, Louisiana, on October 9 as a Category 2 storm with 101 mph sustained winds and a 9.3-foot storm surge. Landfall in Cameron Parish was within 13 miles of where Category 4 Hurricane Laura made landfall in late August. Delta knocked out power to over 500,000 customers in Louisiana (a quarter of the state’s homes), plus another 300,000 in parts of east Texas and western Mississippi. It was a record-setting 10th continental U.S. landfall of a named storm during a single hurricane season and record-tying fifth hurricane continental U.S. landfall in a season.

Similar paths by Hurricanes Laura and Delta in Louisiana triggered the state law that stipulates that policyholders are not required to pay a hurricane deductible twice in the same storm season. State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said that for people who did not exhaust their deductible during Laura, the remainder would apply to Delta only if the unused amount is larger than the standard all-perils deductible. It is not known yet how many people suffered damage from Delta.

Insured loss estimates for Hurricane Delta range from $1 billion to as high as $3 billion, according to catastrophe risk modelling specialist AIR Worldwide. The company warns of the potential for loss increase due to hurricane Delta’s impacts coming so soon after hurricane Laura’s. Karen Clark & Company’s estimate that onshore insured losses will be about $1.25 billion and CoreLogic estimates that onshore and offshore insurance market losses from Delta will be between $1.5 billion and $2.7 billion.

During a live interview on The Weather Channel’s Weather Underground on Monday, October 12, the Triple-I’s Mark Friedlander discussed property losses for Louisianans who were impacted by hurricanes Delta and Laura. He also provided claims-filing tips.

Disaster Preparedness, Floods

Hurricane Delta Surges Closer to Gulf Coast

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Hurricane Delta is surging closer to the U.S. Gulf Coast and is expected to land on the evening of October 9 somewhere on Louisiana’s southwest coast. Dr. Phil Klotzbach, CSU research scientist and Triple-I non-resident scholar gives an update on Delta in the video clip above.

The hurricane has grown in size since yesterday and a large area of the country will see impacts from the storm. Hurricane warnings are in place from High Island, TX to Morgan City, LA, and storm surge warnings extend from High Island, TX to the mouth of the Pearl River.

In addition to strong winds Delta is expected to bring storm surge as high as 7 to 11 feet along the coast of central LA, rainfall totals are forecast to be from 5 to 10 inches from southwest to central LA, with isolated totals of up to 15 inches.

Delta is on track to hit the same area of Louisiana where Hurricane Laura landed only six weeks ago. New Orleans, which will likely miss the storm, was still preparing for the possibility of tornadoes. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency.  Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves also declared a state of emergency, with forecasters saying southern Mississippi could see heavy rain and flash flooding.

Disaster Preparedness

Delta to be 5th Hurricane to Make U.S. Landfall in 2020

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Residents from eastern Texas to the Florida Panhandle should prepare for Hurricane Delta, which is forecast to make landfall in Louisiana on Friday, October 9.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warns Delta’s impacts will include destructive winds, torrential rain, life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding, isolated tornadoes and widespread power outages.

Delta may intensify to a Category 3 storm as it approaches the U.S.’s Gulf Coast states. The region will begin to experience the storm’s impacts on Thursday, October 8.

In what has become the second most active Atlantic hurricane season on record with 25 named storms (there were 27 in 2005), Delta will be the fifth hurricane and record-setting 10th tropical cyclone to make landfall in the continental U.S. this year. Previous 2020 landfalls include Hurricanes Hanna, Isaias, Laura and Sally, and Tropical Storms Bertha, Beta, Cristobal, Fay and Marco.

Preparedness tips for Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas residents who may be impacted by Delta:

  • Review your evacuation plan and, if you have a pet, your pet’s evacuation plan
  • Make sure your hurricane kit includes a minimum seven-day supply of non-perishable food and drinking water (one gallon per person, per day) for all family members and pets, as well as a one-week supply of medications for everyone in your household. Also include COVID-19 safety supplies such as two face coverings per person and hand sanitizer
  • Write down the name and phone number of your insurer and insurance professional and keep this information either in your wallet or purse
  • Purchase emergency supplies, such as batteries and flashlights
  • Prepare your yard by removing all outdoor furniture, lawn items, planters and other materials that could become airborne in high winds
  • Fill your car’s gasoline tank because long gas lines and fuel shortages often follow in areas impacted by a storm

Damage caused by hurricanes and tropical cyclones are covered under different insurance policies. Wind-caused property damage is covered under standard homeowners, renters and business insurance policies. Renters’ insurance covers a renter’s possessions while the landlord insures the structure.

Property damage to a home, a renter’s possessions, and a business – resulting from a flood – is generally covered under FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies, if the homeowner, renter or business has purchased one. A growing number of private insurers also offer flood insurance.

Private-passenger vehicles damaged or destroyed by either wind or flooding are covered under the optional comprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy.

Triple-I has additional hurricane and flood preparedness resources:

Hurricane Season Insurance Checklist
How to Prepare for Hurricane Season
Hurricane Season Insurance Guide
Hurricanes and Windstorm Deductibles
Understanding Your Insurance Deductible
Preparing an Effective Evacuation Plan
Settling Insurance Claims After A Disaster
Facts About Flood Insurance
Recovering from a Flood

Disaster Preparedness

Hurricane Delta takes aim at northern Gulf Coast

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Hurricane Delta is strengthening rapidly as it heads for Cancun, Mexico. It’s expected to reach Louisiana by Saturday morning. If the storm makes U.S. landfall, it will become the 10th named storm to do so this year – a new record.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned coastal parishes to prepare for the storm now. “It is common for many people to experience hurricane fatigue during a busy season, but we need everyone to take this threat seriously,” he said.

Other states along the northern Gulf Coast expected to be impacted include Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Please click on the links below for Triple-I’s hurricane preparedness guides:

Triple-I’s Mark Friedlander offers hurricane safety tips in the video below.