NU Online News Service, March 8, 12:00 p.m.EST

February was a costly and deadly month around the globe withmore than 800 deaths in Europe alone and economic losses totalingwell over $1 billion, says a catastrophe recap report from AonBenfield.

The reinsurance broker, a subsidiary of Chicago-based insurancebroker Aon, says in the United States alone there were 15 deathsand hundreds of millions of dollars in damage from severe weatheroutbreaks in the Midwest, Southeast and Plains states.

While tornadoes were the front page story, regions of theUnited States also suffered through deadly winter storms andthunderstorms producing heavy hail accumulation in parts of thecountry.

Severe weather in mid-February produced damaging winds, largehail and isolated tornado touchdowns in the southern Plains. Thereport says hundreds of structures were damaged but the economicloss was not known at the time of the report's publicationyesterday.

Strong winter weather on the 24^th through theSoutheast and Mid-Atlantic states produced four tornadoes thattouched down in South Carolina and Virginia damaging dozens ofhomes. High winds and damaging winds that day from Mississippi toDelaware led to additional damage to homes and vehicles. Theeconomic loss was put in the millions of dollars.

The worst severe weather outbreak was the tornadoes on the28^th and 29^th killing 13 people and injuringmore than 200. Aon Benfield says the National Weather Service'sStorm Prediction Center confirmed 36 tornadoes in addition to hailand high winds through 10 states. Economic damage was put in thehundreds of millions of dollars.

Catastrophe modeler EQECAT says the figure for insured loss could reach as high as $2 billion.

Flooding in South America—Peru, Brazil and Bolivia—fromtorrential rains claimed more than 48,000 structures and leftthousands of families homeless. Economic damage was placed inexcess of $10 million.

Europe was hit hard by winter weather that was estimated to havetaken more than 824 lives. Bitter cold and snow fell over easternand central Europe from late January through the middle ofFebruary. Economic loss in Serbia alone was placed at $660 million.Losses are expected to go higher as winter thaw is expected tobring flooding.

In Africa, Cyclone Giovanna struck Madagascar on the14^th, killing 35 and injuring 81. More than 50,000 homesand other structures were damaged or destroyed. Total economicdamage was put at $100 million.

Nigeria suffered through a powerful thunderstorm bringingtorrential rains and high, gusty winds on the 13^thkilling 15. More than 3,000 homes were damaged or destroyedbringing total economic damage to $1 million.

The Asia region suffered through a combination of severe winterweather in China, while in the Philippines suffered through anearthquake and flooding.

Among some of the notable events, heavy snows in the Tibetregion on the 7^th and 9^th injured at least650 people and damaged 10,000 homes resulting in total economicloss of around $20 million.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 on the 6^th in thePhilippines left 116 people dead or missing and injured 112 more.Among the hardest hit provinces was Negros Oriental on CentralVisayas where Dumaguete city experienced extensive damage, says thereport. The economic damage was put at close to $1 billion withtotal insured losses at around $100 million.

The southern portion of Queensland and northern New South Wales,Australia, suffered through rounds of rainfall that producedwidespread river flooding. The floods produced economic loss of$919 million. The Insurance Council of Australia declared theevents a catastrophe that produced 5,657 claims and payoutestimated at $120 million.