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

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Severe weather struck parts of the United States and Canada between the 15th and 20th. Severe weather
began on the 15th as an area of low pressure developed across the Plains. As the system shifted eastward on
the 16th, additional severe storms developed from Kansas through Illinois into Michigan. Also on the 16th, an
EF0 tornado touched down in Cape Coral, Florida that damaged at least 23 homes. Severe weather developed
in the Plains and the eastern Rockies on the 17th. On the 18th, an EF1 tornado in Beaumont, Texas damaged
dozens of vehicles and roofs of department stores. At least ten people sustained minor injuries. Strong
thunderstorms in the Northeast downed over 100 trees in New york City’s Central Park as winds gusted to near
80 mph (130 kph). On the 19th, multiple tornadoes were reported in and around Minneapolis, Minnesota,
damaging at least 40 homes and structures. The storms moved through Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana,
spawning at least 25 tornadoes. In Illinois, 19 people were injured and dozens of homes and businesses were
destroyed in the Springfield area. Multiple tornadoes destroyed barns, homes and tore the roofs off apartment
buildings and local schools in Iowa and Indiana. On the 20th, one person was killed after a tornado struck
southern Ontario’s West Grey municipality. According to local authorities, at least 600 houses in vaughan
sustained significant damage.
Hurricane Bill became a tropical storm on the 15th and gradually strengthened to a hurricane on the 17th.
While passing north of the Leeward Islands, Bill reached its peak intensity of 135 mph (215 kph) on the 19th.
Bill began to gradually weaken while skirting Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast and the Canadian Maritimes before
making landfall at Point Rosie, Newfoundland late on the 23rd. On the 21st and 22nd, Bill primarily brought
gusty winds and periods of heavy rain that downed trees, flooded roads and caused beach erosion in Bermuda.
While passing near New England on the 22nd and 23rd, Bill triggered high waves that killed two people injured
20 others. Minimal damage was reported in the Canadian Maritimes.
Heavy rains triggered flooding across northwest Pakistan between the 16th and 18th, killing at least 27 people.
At least 1,000 mud-built homes were destroyed in the Mardan and Swabi districts. Local officials reported that
the flooding also submerged and destroyed the majority of the area’s maize, rice, sugarcane and tobacco crops.
A landslide killed at least five people on the 21st at the popular southern Portugal tourist resort of Albufeira.
Seven people were injured. Local authorities report that the landslide may have been triggered initially by a
magnitude-4.2 earthquake that struck days earlier.
Dozens of wildfires affected parts of Greece between the 21st and 27th, particularly in areas northeast of
Athens. Officially, 284 homes were damaged or destroyed as over 90 fires burned across Stamata, Dionysos
and Rodopoli. One person was killed and at least five others were injured. The fires, which began on the 21st
in Grammatiko, rapidly spread southeastward through pine trees and olive groves. The blazes burned 39,000
hectares (96,000 acres) of land, but insured losses were on the low side as only one in five homes in Greece are
insured for losses from fires.
Three separate storm systems crossed parts of China between the 26th and 30th. The first system occurred
between the 26th and 29th in central China’s Hubei Province, killing at least 12 people. Over 28 counties in the
province were affected and 6,962 homes were damaged or destroyed. Approximately 3,118 hectares (7,704
acres) of crops were also completely destroyed. The second system struck southwest Sichuan Province between
the 28th and 30th. At least seven people were killed and 5,900 homes were destroyed. The final storm struck
Anhui Province on the 30th, killing six people.
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