Natural catastrophes quite often prove the most costly in termsof insured P&C losses, including a wide spectrum of triggersfrom auto and property damage to business interruption and evensupply chain losses.

Insured losses were roughly $45 billion U.S., down from $81billion in 2012 and below the inflation-adjusted average of $61billion for the previous 10 years, due largely to a benignhurricane season in the U.S., says Swiss Re in its latest Sigmareport on natural catastrophes in 2013.

In 2013 almost 26,000 people lost their lives or went missingdue to natural catastrophes and man-made disasters, making the yearthe 20th most deadly on Sigma records. The number of lives lost wasup 83% from the previous year but was well below the yearly averagesince 1990 of around 68,000 deaths.

Globally, about 20,000 people were killed or went missing innatural disasters in 2013, the majority in storms, floods and othersevere-weather events.

Click through to view the list of Top 10 most costlyinsured natural catastrophe losses (in billions) of2013.

10. Typhoon Fitow

A wave hits the shore as TyphoonFitow makes its landfall in Wenling, east China's Zhejiang provinceon October 6, 2013. (Photo: PressTV)

Date: 9/29/2013

Insured Losses (in USD): $1.1B

Economic Losses (in USD): $10.3B

Country/Countries Affected: China, Japan

Typhoon Fitow, the strongest typhoon to reach mainland Chinasince 1949. delivered punishing rains resulting in major flooding,which led to most of the estimated total losses of $10 billion USD.The insured losses of $1.1 billion make it the second-largestclaims event ever in China.

9. Winter Storms, Ice, Tornadoes, HeavyRains

Ice accumulates on a bridge atThe Falls Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP Photo/Amber Hunt)

Date: 4/7/2013

Insured Losses: $1.2B

Economic Losses: $1.6 B

Country/Countries Affected:U.S.

8. Severe Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, LargeHail

A security guard heads forshelter as heavy rain and hail brings a halt to a game between theChicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs on May 28, 2013. (APPhoto/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Date: 5/28/2013

Insured Losses: $1.4B

Economic Losses: $2.8B

Country/Countries Affected: U.S.

7. Windstorm Christian

Damage is seen at the Universityof Flensburg in Flensburg, Germany after WindstormChristian.

Date: 10/27/2013

Insured Losses: $1.5B

Economic Losses: $2.8B

Country/Countries Affected: Germany, Denmark,et al

Windstorm Christian, known as the St. Jude's day storm in theU.K., produced record-setting wind speeds at several meteorologicalstations. The majority of insured losses occurred in Denmark and Germany, with furtherlosses in the Netherlands, France, the U.K. andSweden.

The storm hit southern Britain on Oct. 28, knocking down trees,flooding lowlands and disrupting travel, before moving north andeast, hitting France, the Netherlands, northern Germany, Denmark,Sweden and Russia.

6. Typhoon Haiyan

Filipino firemen and volunteerswalk along the debris of damaged homes in Tacloban city on Nov. 17,2013. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Date: 11/8/2013

Insured Losses: $1.5B

Economic Losses: $12.5B

Country/Countries Affected: Philippines, etal

The deadliest disaster event in the history of the Philippines,Typhoon Haiyan caused the greatest amount of deaths in 2013, witharound 7,500 people killed or declared missing in the Philippines,Vietnam and China.

In terms of economic loss, the biggest loss-inducing event wasHaiyan, the Category 5 strength super typhoon that made multiplelandfalls in central Philippines with record wind speeds and wasthe largest humanitarian catastrophe of the year globally and oneof the strongest typhoons to have ever been recorded worldwide.

Haiyan triggered coastal storm surges with subsequent floodingand mudslides that wiped out entire coastal towns such as Tacloban,where the water level was estimated to have risen to 6.5m.

The Philippine authorities provisionally estimate the property,agriculture and infrastructure damage from Typhoon Haiyan to be atleast $12 billion. Insured losses are estimated to be $1.5 billion,including losses from public-infrastructure cover.

5. Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Hail

Golfball sized hail litter theground by shattered cars in Pearl, Miss. on March 18, 2013,following a hailstorm. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Date: 3/18/2013

Insured Losses: $1.6B

Economic Losses: $2.2B

Country/Countries Affected: U.S.

4. Severe Thunderstorms, Tornadoes (EF5 Tornado inMoore, Okla.)

A tornado moves through Moore,Okla. on May 18, 2013 as northbound traffic on Interstate 35 stops.(AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Date: 5/18/2013

Insured Losses: $1.8B

Economic Losses: $3.0B

Country/Countries Affected: U.S.

3. Floods

A resident drives through floodwaters. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Date: 6/19/2013

Insured Losses: $1.9B

Economic Losses: $4.7B

Country/Countries Affected: Canada

2. Hailstorms

A woman holds handfuls of hailafter a thunderstorm in Germany. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle)

Date: 7/27/2013

Insured Losses: $3.8B

Economic Losses: $4.8B

Country/Countries Affected: Germany, France

1. Floods

A street sign is flooded inPassau, Germany. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Date: 5/27/2013

Insured Losses: $4.1B

Economic Losses: $16.5B

Country/Countries Affected: Germany, CzechRepublic, et al