Hurricane Irma Likely to Make Landfall in Florida or the Southeast U.S.; Devastating Winds and Storm Surge Expected

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE I.I.I. New York Press Office: 212-346-5500; media@iii.org CSU Press Office: 970-491-7099; anne.manning@colostate.edu

NEW YORK, September 6, 2017 — Hurricane Irma made landfall on several of the northern Leeward Islands over the past 24 hours and is now tracking northwestward towards Puerto Rico. It also is looking more likely to make landfall along the Florida coast or the Southeast U.S. as a major hurricane—the second major storm to hit the United States in about two weeks. Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) subject matter experts are available to assist reporters with questions on insurance coverage, the insurance industry’s disaster response and how this storm differs from Harvey.

“Irma is currently one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, packing maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. The only hurricane in the Atlantic that has been stronger than Irma was Hurricane Allen in 1980,” said Dr. Philip J. Klotzbach, meteorologist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University (CSU) and a nonresident scholar with the I.I.I. “Low vertical wind shear (the change in wind direction with the height of the atmosphere) and warmer than normal sea surface temperatures were the perfect recipe for this extraordinarily strong storm,” he noted.

“It is likely this storm will be more of a wind event than a flood event,” said I.I.I. CEO Sean Kevelighan. “We urge anyone in the path of the storm to listen to local authorities, while also doing what is needed to prepare, such as reinforcing windows with shutters and taking a home inventory, if time permits. If you have to evacuate, bring your financial documents, including your insurance policy, so you can start the claims process once the storm has passed,” said Kevelighan. “Keep in mind, the more prepared you are, the greater the potential to be more resilient and withstand damage.”

Top 10 Costliest Hurricanes In The United States (1)

($ millions)

			Estimated insured loss
Rank	Year	Hurricane	Dollars when occurred	In 2023 dollars (2)
1	2005	Hurricane Katrina	$65,000	$101,865
2	2022	Hurricane Ian	54,000	55,772
3	2021	Hurricane Ida	36,000	40,503
4	2012	Hurricane Sandy	30,000	39,918
5	2017	Hurricane Harvey	30,000	37,609
6	2017	Hurricane Irma	30,050	37,473
7	2017	Hurricane Maria	29,511	36,802
8	1992	Hurricane Andrew	16,000	34,951
9	2008	Hurricane Ike	18,200	25,604
10	2005	Hurricane Wilma	10,700	16,533

(1) Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and losses sustained by private insurers and government-sponsored programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program. Includes hurricanes that occurred through 2023. Subject to change as loss estimates are further developed. As of January 2024. Ranked on insured losses in 2023 dollars.
(2) Adjusted for inflation by Aon using the U.S. Consumer Price Index.

Source: Aon.

View Archived Tables

Wind damage from tropical storms and hurricanes is covered under standard homeowners, renters and business insurance policies. Flood damage is excluded under standard home and business policies. Separate flood coverage can be purchased from FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and some private insurers.

Damage to cars from tropical storms and hurricanes is covered under the optional comprehensive coverage available with a standard auto insurance policy. Nearly four out of five drivers choose to purchase comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive coverage for automobiles includes wind damage, flooding and damage from falling objects, such as tree limbs.

As Hurricane Irma prepares to make landfall, the number one priority is public safety. Mandatory evacuations are already in place in parts of Florida. Heeding evacuation orders is imperative. The I.I.I. recommends that Floridians recall the lessons from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Wilma in 2005. Not only can high winds be deadly; storm surge is also a serious threat to human life. Residents near coastal areas and inland bodies of water should have a plan for evacuating from flood-prone areas—and be ready to put that plan into action.

For more information, visit the following resources:

Facts and Statistics

Flood Insurance

Hurricanes

Hurricane Fact File: Florida

Consumer and Business Resources

Avoiding Scams After a Disaster

Disaster Planning for Older Adults

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim

How Do I File a Homeowners Insurance Claim?

Preparing an Evacuation Plan

Trees and Insurance