Facts + Statistics: U.S. catastrophes

2020 natural catastrophes

Aon defines a catastrophe as a natural event that causes $25 million or more in insured property losses, or 10 deaths; or 50 people injured; or 2,000 filed claims or homes and structures damaged. Aon’s natural catastrophe estimates include Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and include losses sustained by private insurers and government-sponsored programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program. They are subject to change as loss estimates are further developed. Natural catastrophe losses in the United States rose to an historic high in 2017 of $133 billion in 2020 dollars, the year of Hurricanes Harvey, Maria and Irma and costly California wildfires. Natural catastrophe losses fell in 2018 and 2019, but rose to $74.4 billion in 2020, up 88 percent from $39.6 billion in 2019.

Natural Catastrophe Losses In The United States By Peril, 2020

($ millions)

Event	Number of events (1)	Fatalities	Economic losses (2)	Insured losses (3)
Severe convective storm	51	106	$49,323	$35,000
Tropical cyclone	12	73	40,059	21,600
Wildfire, drought, heatwave	19	43	22,959	13,900
Flooding	4	8	5,292	2,200
Winter storm	4	6	1634.1	930
Earthquake	4	0	152	58
Total	94	~250	$119,000	$74,000

(1) Natural disasters that cause at least $25 million in insured losses; or 10 deaths; or 50 people injured; or 2,000 filed claims or homes and structures damaged. Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(2) Includes any direct physical damage or direct net loss business interruption costs.
(3) Includes losses sustained by private insurers and government-sponsored programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program. Subject to change as loss estimates are further developed. As of February 23, 2021.

~ =Approximately.

Source: Aon.

View Archived Tables

Natural Catastrophes By Quarter, 2020 (1)

(2020 $ millions)

Quarter	Estimated insured losses
1	$7,340
2	19,070
3	41,520
4	7,180
Full year	$75,110

(1) Natural disasters that cause at least $25 million in insured losses; or 10 deaths; or 50 people injured; or 2,000 filed claims or homes and structures damaged. Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Includes losses sustained by private insurers and government-sponsored programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program. Subject to change as loss estimates are further developed. As of February 13, 2021.

Source: Aon.

View Archived Tables

Estimated Insured Property Losses, U.S. Natural Catastrophes, 2011-2020 (1)

($ billions)

Year	In dollars when occurred	In 2020 dollars (2)
2011	$48.4	$56.3
2012	63.5	72.3
2013	24.1	27.2
2014	23.2	25.6
2015	22.9	25.3
2016	31.6	34.5
2017	130.9	133.1
2018	60.4	62.7
2019	38.7	39.6
2020	74.4	74.4

(1) Natural disasters that cause at least $25 million in insured losses; or 10 deaths; or 50 people injured; or 2,000 filed claims or homes and structures damaged. Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Includes losses sustained by private insurers and government-sponsored programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program. Subject to change as loss estimates are further developed. As of February 23, 2021. Adjusted for inflation by Aon using the U.S. Consumer Price Index.

Source: Aon.

View Archived Tables

Top 10 Costliest Natural Catastrophes, United States (1)

($ millions)

			Estimated insured property loss
Rank	Year	Peril	Dollars when occurred	In 2020 dollars (2)
1	2005	Hurricane Katrina	$65,000	$86,570
2	2012	Hurricane Sandy	30,000	33,930
3	2017	Hurricane Harvey	30,000	31,960
4	2017	Hurricane Irma	30,050	31,840
5	2017	Hurricane Maria	29,500	31,300
6	1992	Hurricane Andrew	16,000	29,700
7	1994	Northridge earthquake	15,300	27,370
8	2008	Hurricane Ike	18,200	21,760
9	2012	Drought loss	14,400	16,610
10	2005	Hurricane Wilma	10,666	14,010

(1) Natural disasters that cause at least $25 million in insured losses; or 10 deaths; or 50 people injured; or 2,000 filed claims or homes and structures damaged. Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Includes losses sustained by private insurers and government-sponsored programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program. Subject to change as loss estimates are further developed. As of February 23, 2021.
(2) Adjusted for inflation by Aon using the U.S. Consumer Price Index.

Source: Aon.

View Archived Tables

Below are charts from Munich Re, which include flood insurance losses in its calculations. The reinsurer estimated insured natural catastrophe losses in the United States for 2018 at $52 billion.