As damage figures roll in from the earthquake that struck Hawaii, edging into the hundred of millions, insurers will probably end up with little in the way of losses, according to industry reports.

Hawaii Insurance Commissioner Jeffrey P. Schmidt said there is little take-up in earthquake insurance in the state primarily because there are few earthquakes. He said the last major quake to hit the islands was in 1983. Lenders do not require the coverage for homes, so there is no market driver for the coverage.

The United States Geological Survey said the 6.7 magnitude quake struck the area at 7:07 a.m. local time Sunday, Oct. 15, causing power outages and widespread damage. The quake was centered 65 miles west of Hilo, on the island of Hawaii, popularly called the Big Island.

Reports indicate the most extensive damage was to schools, homes and infrastructure on the island of Hawaii, but facilities reopened for business soon after the quake. All airports were in operation, and electricity, phones, Internet and cable television service were restored statewide by the following Tuesday.

FEMA has approved low-cost loans for homeowners and commercial owners to cover expenses not covered by insurance. The president signed a disaster declaration for the state on Oct. 17.

A total of 46 companies provide some earthquake coverage, Mr. Schmidt said, and the top three writers provide it on a surplus lines basis.

According to National Underwriter's Highline Data Service, in 2005 there was more than $4.4 million in direct written premium for earthquake insurance in the state. The top two underwriters of that coverage were American International Group, with less than 21 percent of the market, and Ace American Insurance Company, with more than 18 percent of the market.

A spokesman at AIG said the company was not prepared to discuss losses. A spokeswoman for ACE said the company is still in the process of gathering information and it is too early to tell what the claims picture will be.

The Insurance Services Office Inc.'s, Gary Kerney, assistant vice president of Property Claim Services, said there is not enough information about the quake for the unit to declare a catastrophe as of now. He said they are continuing to research the incident. PCS is a unit of Insurance Services Office in Jersey City, N.J.

Allison Powers, executive director of the Hawaii Insurers Council, said the dollar figures were hitting $100 million on the island of Hawaii.

Other local reports suggested the figure could go higher. For example, Troy Kindred, civil defense administrator for the island of Hawaii, said Kawaihae Harbor appears to have suffered much more extensive damage than early conservative estimates of $5 million. While there is little damage on the surface, divers are finding that chunks of the pier have given way.

Mr. Kindred said the island has only two harbors, Kawaihae and Hilo, and the island is experiencing some “serious shortcomings” because only one harbor is in use.

He said early estimates of $100 million in total damage to roads, schools, business and other facilities are only ballpark figures, but the number is expected to rise as more experts are brought in to assess damage.

“The numbers will [become more refined] over time,” said Mr. Kindred.

More than a week after the earthquake, Mr. Schmidt said the Federal Emergency Management Administration estimated that 10 homes were uninhabitable from earthquake damage; 153 suffered major damage; 1,484 suffered minor damage; and 241 were “affected” by the quake.

Neal N. Nakashima, executive vice president of Aon Risk Services Inc. of Hawaii, said carriers were flooding the island with claims representatives, apparently to make sure there were enough people to handle the job. However, it will be weeks before any claims estimates are produced, he said.

Much of the damage is not obvious and will require careful examination, Mr. Nakashima said. Repairs could take longer as there is a shortage of contractors on the islands.

The sense is that the earthquake will not be a major catastrophic loss, he continued. However, it will be interesting to see how insurers treat homeowner damage that occurs in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Mr. Schmidt said one outgrowth of the quake may be that more homeowners would show interest in purchasing earthquake insurance.

Special Reports /

Hawaii Losses Climbing, But Insurance Claims Appear Minimal

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