NU Online News Service, May 17, 10:57 a.m.EDT

A third catastrophe riskmodeling firm has weighed in on estimating insured losses from thelate April tornado outbreak, putting a price tag of up to $6billion on the insured damages.

Newark, Calif.-based Risk Management Solutions (RMS) says itsestimated range of $3.5 billion to $6 billion in insured lossesfrom April 25-28 includes losses from personal, commercial,automobile and industrial lines.

The high end of RMS’s range represents the highest insured lossprediction of the three risk modelers, but each use a differentdate range to define the outbreak. AIR Worldwide estimated losses of up to $5.5 billion fromApril 22-28. EQECAT said losses could reach $5 billion from April 26-28.

A large majority—about 70 percent—of the insured losses can beattributed to damages in Alabama, which experienced most of thesevere weather during the April 25-28 tornado outbreak when 305 twisters touched down in the U.S. TheNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it was thelargest tornado outbreak in history.

Three EF5 and 11 EF 4 tornadoes have been confirmed during thethree-day outbreak, RMS reports. EF5 is the strongest ranking onthe Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds of more than 200 mph.

About 40 percent of the estimated insured-loss range from RMScan be linked to a single tornado—an EF4 twister that swept byGreene, Jefferson and Tuscaloosa counties on April 27.

The historic outbreak from April 25-28 was not the only stormactivity during the month. Earlier in April a violent weathersystem that included hundreds of tornadoes affected multiple statesfrom Oklahoma to North Carolina, and a tornado hit theSt. Louis metro area on April 22.

As of May 13, State Farm says it has received about 96,000homeowners, renters, condominium and commercial insurance claimsfrom storms April 14-29. The insurer has paid $175 million on theseclaims thus far, but both numbers will grow, “particularly theamount paid,” State Farm relays in an e-mail. An additional 37,000auto claims have been filed, with about $40 million paid out.Similarly, both amounts are expected to grow, State Farm adds.

Columbus, Ohio-based State Auto Financial Corp. says it expectsthe April storms will cause between $75 million and $85 million insecond quarter catastrophe losses, net of reinsurance recoveries.Five separate catastrophes in April affected 20 of the company'soperating states, it says. More than 15,000 claims will be filed,State Auto estimates.

Allstate says it expects a $1.4 billion tab from the Aprilstorms. Liberty Mutual says storm activity in April is expectedto cause $350 million to $450 million in losses, and Nationwide says its second-quarter operating income will be“challenged” by claims payouts from April.