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

The Travelers Cos. says it expects after-tax catastrophe lossesof about $1 billion from numerous weather events in April andMay.

The auto, home and business insurer divulges the information inpreparation for an investors’ conference today. The estimate is netof reinsurance.

Losses were mainly in the company’s business and personalinsurance segments, caused by multiple tornadoes and hail stormsprimarily in the Midwest and Southeast, Travelers reports.

The largest of the catastrophes was a string of violent stormsthe last week of April that affected 13 states, Travelers adds.

Catastrophe-risk modelers put industry-wide insured losses fromthe late-April storms at between $2 billion and $6 billion.

Earlier this month modeler AIR Worldwide put an insured-loss range of between $4 billionand $7 billion from storms in May.

New York-based Travelers says it will limit common-sharerepurchases due to the catastrophe losses. Repurchases in thesecond quarter are expected to be less than $250 million.

CNN reports that Travelers’ shares fell 3.5 percent the announcement.

There is good news to report, according to Travelers. CEO Jay S.Fishman says business-insurance renewal-rate change was 2 percentcompared to 1 percent, and exposure change was positive compared tothe first quarter a year ago. Rate change was 4 percent compared to2 percent for commercial accounts, he adds.

Meanwhile, educator-focused Horace Mann says catastrophe lossesfrom April and May storms will be between $45 million and $50million, pretax.

The Springfield, Ill.-based multiline insurer has lowered itsfull-year net income estimate, before realized net investmentsgains, to $1.10 to $1.30 per share from $1.75 to $1.95 per share.The estimates assumes that catastrophe losses for the rest of theyear will be within expectations, says Peter H. Heckman, presidentand CEO.