Natural disasters caused $306 billion losses in 2017
Natural and man-made disasters caused $306 billion of economic losses worldwide this year according to estimates from insurance giant Swiss Re.
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That’s a 63 percent increase on 2016 and much higher than average over the past decade. One of the main reasons for the accumulation of losses was a bout of extreme weather that struck the Americas.
Three hurricanes - Harvey, Irma, and Maria - struck the US and Caribbean, wildfires in California, two powerful earthquakes in Mexico in mid-September and tropical Cyclone Debbie that caused considerable damage in Australia. Here’s a look at the cost of disasters over a decade and the cost of some of the worst natural disasters in 2017.
