Insured losses totalled $21bn over the first six months of 2014
Insured losses from catastrophe risks have fallen by 16% over the first half of 2014 to $21bn (£12.7bn), according to initial estimates from Swiss Re’s Sigma database.
The amount is also lower than the ten year average of $27bn for losses over the first six months of a year.
For the first half of 2014, natural catastrophes were responsible for $19bn of insured losses and man-made disasters accounted for $2bn.
These natural catastrophe costs were largely driven by severe storms in the US in mid-May, which resulted in hail damage, thunderstorms and tornadoes (see below).
Top five most costly insured catastrophe losses in H1 2014
| Month | Insured losses ($bn) | Total losses ($bn) | Event | Country |
| May | 2.6 | 3.2 | Thunderstorms, hail | USA |
| June | 2.5 | 2.7 | Storm Ela | France, Germany, Belgium |
| February | 2.5 | 5.0 | Snow storm | Japan |
| January | 1.7 | 2.5 | Snow storm | USA |
| May | 1.1 | 1.7 | Thunderstorms, tornadoes | USA |
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