Severe storms that buffeted the Northwest over the weekend causing damage in three states were categorized as catastrophes by Insurance Services Office, but flooding in Nevada has not reached that level of loss, the firm said.

The Jersey City, N.J.-based ISO's Property Claim Services has assigned a catastrophe number for property damage in California, Oregon and Washington that occurred over the weekend, said Gary Kerney, assistant vice president.

PCS rates events as catastrophe when an insured loss of $25 million is sustained and affects a significant number of property-casualty insurers and insureds.

He said in an e-mail through a representative that while flooding in Nevada was related to heavy rain associated with the same storm "loss from the collapsed dam and flooding did not meet our requirements to be specifically included in a catastrophe definition."

A winter storm producing hurricane force winds hit the three states over the weekend flooding towns, downing power lines and dropping up to 11 feet of snow in 72 hours near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Mountains, said Boston-based AIR Worldwide catastrophe modeling firm.

AIR said the highest winds recorded on Friday were sustained at 110 mph, with gusts of up to 163 mph. The 110 mph is the equivalent of a category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

On Saturday, a levee along a canal broke in Fernley, Nev., flooding the town and affecting 800 home, with 290 home suffering severe flood related damage.

A number of people had to be rescued by helicopter and boat.

A number of insurers have activated claims teams and moved them into the affected areas.

AIR said the storm was not typical of a classic Pacific Northwest winter storms, which concentrate damaging winds along the coasts of Washington and Oregon. What made this storm unusual, AIR said, was that the strongest winds and heaviest snows were over the Northern half of California.

More snow was expected to hit the Sierra Mountains this evening, possibly as much as three feet, AIR said.

Special Reports /

ISO Assigns Cat To Northwest Storm, But Not Nevada

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