Hurricane Michael May Cost Insurers $8 Billion

(Bloomberg) -- Hurricane Michael, which ripped through Florida’s Panhandle region this week, may cost insurance companies about $8 billion, according to risk modeler Karen Clark & Co.

That figure includes wind and storm surge damage to homes, cars and industrial and commercial properties covered by private insurers, the company said in a report. KCC estimates that about half of those losses occurred in Bay and Gulf counties. The figure doesn’t factor in losses backed by the National Flood Insurance Program.

Michael is the strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in decades, leaving thousands without power. Most of the damage came from strong wind speeds and the storm surge depths ranged from 9 to 14 feet along the most impacted area of the cost, KCC said. Storm surge caused $3.7 billion in total damages and about 10 percent of that figure is insured.

Read more: Michael’s Widespread Power Outages Now Stretch Into Virginia

To contact the reporter on this story: Katherine Chiglinsky in New York at kchiglinsky@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael J. Moore at mmoore55@bloomberg.net, Josh Friedman, Dan Reichl

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