Annual Global Climate and Catastrophe Report: Impact ... - Aon

AnnuAl GlobAl Cli mAte And C AtAstroph e r e port
Typhoon Chan-hom killed at least 67 people and injured over 53 others. Both the agriculture and
transportation infrastructures were heavily impacted, with the National Disaster Coordinating Center reporting
at least US$21 million in losses. The storm developed on the 4th and reached typhoon status with 130 kph
(80 mph) winds on the 6th. Just prior to landfall on the 7th, the cyclone reached its peak intensity with 160
kph (100 mph) winds. As the typhoon came ashore, winds gusting to 140 kph (85 mph) and floods affected
over 412,000 residents. At least 40,210 homes were damaged or destroyed, with the town of Anda being the
hardest hit. Government officials reported that substantial damage occurred to the agricultural sector. By the
11th, Chan-hom had dissipated over the open waters of the western Pacific Ocean.
Severe weather occurred across parts of the eastern half of the U.S. between the 7th and the 14th. At least
ten people were killed and dozens more were injured as tornadoes touched down in at least 15 states.
Severe weather began on the 7th as a powerful thunderstorm line spawned at least 40 tornadoes over five
states. Missouri was among the hardest hit states, where at least three people were killed and hundreds of
homes were damaged or destroyed. Straight-line winds gusted to 90 mph (150 kph) and over 20 tornadoes
touched down in the state. In Kentucky, two tornadoes destroyed dozens of homes and structures in the
Kirksville community of Richmond in Madison County. At least one person was killed in the tornado, which
also damaged two fire departments and local manufacturing facilities. On the 9th and 10th, severe weather
developed in the Tennessee valley, the Mid-Atlantic States and New England. In West virginia, at least 3,450
homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed across six counties as heavy rains triggered flash flooding
and multiple mudslides. The town of Gilbert was hit particularly hard, where an estimated 80 percent of
businesses sustained water damage. The system spawned two tornadoes across Massachusetts and vermont.
At least 95,000 insurance claims were filed during the entire event, totaling over US$525 million in losses.
Parts of the Great Lakes, Midwest and Plains received additional severe weather on the 13th. The first round
of storms developed early in parts of Iowa and Illinois, while a second line of thunderstorms developed and
spawned a tornado in Caddo County in Oklahoma. The tornado damaged dozens of homes. Numerous severe
thunderstorms developed ahead of the line, triggering over a dozen tornadoes in parts of Missouri. In the
town of Kirksville, an EF2 tornado damaged or destroyed at least 70 homes and buildings, including a local car
dealership. At least three people were killed. In Illinois, the squall line brought damaging winds, heavy rain and
lightning to northern sections of the state. Some locations received over three inches (eight centimeters) of rain
in just 50 minutes. On the 14th, the line entered central Indiana, where street flooding and winds gusting up to
60 mph (95 kph) were reported.
Heavy rains, damaging winds, large hail and at least one tornado occurred on the 11th and 12th in New
Zealand. In Warkworth, a small tornado touched down and damaged nearly a dozen homes. Local authorities
reported that the severe weather collapsed dozens of roofs, cut electricity and forced the closure of major
roadways. The storms also brought dime-size to golfball-size hail, where accumulations in some spots topped
ten centimeters (four inches) in depth. Kiwifruit growers indicated that the weather halted the harvest of the
crop. Insured losses were estimated at US$1.4 million.
Severe thunderstorms affected India’s Uttar Pradesh state on the 11th and 12th, killing at least 32 people and
injuring 23 more. Heavy rains, high winds and large hail all combined to cause dozens of walls and ceilings to
collapse across eight separate districts.
At least 21 people were killed in Tajikistan after weeks of flooding and mudslides destroyed over 200 homes
across 25 districts through the 15th. Economic losses to the agricultural and transportation infrastructures were
estimated at US$1 million.
In South Africa, heavy rains on the 17th triggered flooding that damaged 497 homes near Cape Town.
According to local disaster management officials, at least 28 residential areas were badly affected by winds and
rains from the first winter storm of the season. Power outages were also reported throughout the city.
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