The fierce storms that pummeled Washington state and Oregon latelast week will be declared a catastrophe, the Insurance ServicesOffice Inc. announced today.

Jersey City-based ISO's Gary Kerney, assistant vice president,property claim service, said in an e-mail statement: “PCSdesignated the event [the storms in Washington and Oregon] acatastrophe, but it is too early for insured loss information todevelop. Claims were being reported in substantial numbers onFriday, but many residents were still without power and unable toreport. PCS will begin to collect loss information later thisweek.”

ISO's definition of a catastrophe is an event of $25 million ormore in insurance losses that affects a significant number ofpolicyholders and insurance carriers.

Heavy rains and winds gusting to more than 100 mph inundated theregion last week, causing extensive power outages and damage inboth states. At least four people were reported dead from thestorm.

Washington state's largest utility, Puget Sound Energy, said onits Web site that by Sunday, it anticipates restoring power to ahalf-million customers. It said more than 700,000 had lost powerfrom the storm.

Nancy Carpenter, public affairs specialist with Bloomington,Ill.-based State Farm Insurance out of their Dupont, Wash., office,said the company is still collecting data and has few hard facts onlosses at this time. She noted, however, that losses appear “to besignificant in both states.”

She said there are reports of roof damage, downed trees andsmashed cars–the types of damage to be expected from severe highwinds.

By Monday morning Western Standard Time, she said the companyhad received 4,500 homeowners claims and 800 auto claims from bothstates, but primarily from Washington. She emphasized that thesewere very early reports and the figures are expected to rise.

The insurer assembled its team of claims adjusters prior to thestorms and has gotten them into the damaged areas to begin work,she said. More will be added between now and the end of the holidayseason. The company also is running advertising to inform customersabout how to submit claims and contact their agents.

State Farm is the largest homeowners insurer in Washington, with18 percent of the market, and Oregon, with 25 percent of themarket, according to National Underwriter Highline Media DataService.

Keith Owens, a spokesman for Zurich, the number two homeownerinsurer, said the company received only 70 claims over the weekend.These are very preliminary numbers, he noted, adding that thecompany has claims representatives on the ground to assess thesituation.

Karl Newman, president of Seattle-based N.W. Insurance Council,representing 80 percent of homeowners insurers in Washington,Oregon and Idaho, said the organization hopes to have somepreliminary numbers soon, but there is no question that this is asignificant claim event for the two states.

It appears that Oregon was not as adversely affected asWashington, Mr. Newman said, but there are still a significantnumber of claims from both states. The most significant number willprobably come out of the Puget Sound area, which includes Seattle,he added.