NU Online News Service, July 7, 12:18 p.m.EDT

The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. says it expects losses fromsecond-quarter catastrophes to be between $145 million and $160million before tax.

The Worcester, Mass.-based insurer says the losses are fromtornado-spawning storms in April and May in the U.S., including theMay 22 tornado that struck Joplin, Mo., and June 1 tornadoes thatstruck Massachusetts.

In late May, Hanover said it expected between $70 million and $85 million from Aprilstorms.

Meanwhile, Hamilton, Bermuda-based Everest Re Group says itexpects to incur second-quarter net catastrophe losses of $80million, after reinstatement premiums and taxes.

The company says the losses relate to the April and May U.S.storms as well as wildfires in Alberta, Canada and updated lossprovisions for first-quarter catastrophe losses. Everest Resays it expects that losses related to the most recent New Zealandearthquake will be less than $10 million and therefore would not bereported as part of its current catastrophe-loss provision. Eventswith expected losses below $10 million are included as part of thecompany's attritional losses, Everest Re says.

Joseph V. Taranto, Everest Re's chairman and CEO, saysin a statement, “Despite these losses, we expect to have anunderwriting profit in the quarter and a solid increase in ouralready strong capital position.”

Corrected to show “Everest Re” in the last two paragraphsrather than PartnerRe, which was incorrectly included in this storypreviously