Total economic and insured losses related to the severe weather outbreak affecting large swaths of the northern and central United States and southern Canada from June 5 to June 11 could total billions of dollars, according to Aon’s most recent weekly CAT report.
Between June 5 and 8, a series of storm systems swept from the Rockies and Great Plains into the mid-Atlantic, bringing large hail, heavy rain and winds exceeding 90 miles per hour.
While these early storms caused isolated flash flooding in the Southeast and caused significant tree damage and one death in New York City, their impact was still relatively minor compared to the severe weather that followed.
The worst weather occurred from June 9 to 11, affecting southern and midwestern Canada.
A succession of severe thunderstorms hit northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana, with wind gusts reaching 94 mph in Wisconsin.
Widespread wind damage caused roofs to be torn off and power lines to be downed. More than 500,000 customers were without power, with the Chicago area bearing the brunt. In addition to high winds, violent tornadoes and historic rainfall caused catastrophic localized damage.
Multiple large tornadoes destroyed buildings and severely damaged vehicles in South Chicago neighborhoods such as Street, Illinois, and Hobart, Indiana, while an EF-1 tornado damaged dozens of homes in Freeland, Michigan, and one storm-related death was confirmed in Iowa.
Flooding damaged roads, washed out parts of highways and bridges and threatened to breach a dam near Lake Harvey.
Parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan received 9.8 inches of rain and 4 inches of hail, causing severe flash flooding and washing out highways. 150 residents in the Swan Valley area were displaced and 25,000 Canadian customers were without power.
Analysts at Aon said much of the financial impact over the past week may be attributed to the severe weather outbreak from June 9 to 11, which caused widespread damage in the Midwest in particular.
These events, combined with more severe losses reported in the United States and Canada over the past week, are expected to result in total economic and insured losses reaching billions of dollars.
As storms continue to impact the United States at the time of writing, Aon will provide more updates in the next weekly Cat Report.
