"Severe Thunderstorms In First Half Of 2023 Caused Record Amount In Damages"

"Severe thunderstorms in the first half of 2023 caused a record amount in insured losses, underscoring the impact of climate change on extreme weather events, according to new research for the Swiss Re Group.

A recent report from the group found severe thunderstorms in the first six months of the year caused $34 billion in damages, the highest insured losses ever recorded in a six-month period. Ten events prompted losses of $1 billion and more each, compared to an annual average of six events during the past 10 years. The most affected state was Texas, the report found.

“With severe thunderstorms as the main driver for above-average insured losses in the first half of 2023, this secondary peril becomes one of the dominant global drivers of insured losses,” said Martin Bertogg, head of Catastrophe Perils at Swiss Re. "

Miranda Nazzaro reports for The Hill August 9, 2023.

Source: The Hill, 08/10/2023