Pacific Northwest storms cause US$500 million: AIR Worldwide

Insured losses from the Pacific Northwest winter storm in the United States could exceed US$500 million, according to estimates by catastrophe risk modeling company AIR Worldwide Corporation.In Canada, similar winter storms in the area of Vancouver, B.C. have resulted in more than $40 million worth of claims thus far, according to the IBC.In a recent report, AIR notes that wind gusts of more than 90 mp-h were widely reported across Oregon and Washington. In addition, heavy precipitation caused localized flash flooding in western Washington and blizzard conditions in the eastern part of the state.”This was the worst wind storm to strike the Pacific Northwest since the 1993 Inauguration Day storm,” said Peter Dailey, director of atmospheric science for research and modeling at AIR Worldwide. “The wind speeds observed from last week’s storm were similar or a bit higher than those of the 1993 storm. But [they] were more widespread, extending south to Oregon and east to Montana, so total damage is likely to be higher.”The Pacific Northwest winter storm caused damage to roofs, cladding and windows. More significant structural damage occurred as a result of downed trees and utility poles. On Dec. 16, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency for all 39 counties. More than a quarter of a million remained without power as late as Sunday, including several thousand in northern Idaho and Montana.AIR used its winter storm model to come up with an estimate of the insured losses due to damage from wind, precipitation, and cold temperatures. Like most winter storms in the Pacific Northwest, damage from the December 14-15 storm was caused primarily by wind. Heavy snow and the coldest temperatures were confined to the interior mountainous regions with lower property exposure.