While the month of January delivered no single major catastrophe loss, there were enough weather events to cause close to a half-billion dollars in losses worldwide, according to a report released by Aon Benfield.

The reinsurance broker says that winter-weather storms wreaked havoc through Europe and the United States, while parts of Asia suffered through rain and flooding. Combined, weather events throughout the world took more than 400 lives, with the most loss of life occurring in the eastern sections of Europe—where severe winter temperatures are blamed for taking 306 lives.

The report, “January 2012 Global Catastrophe Recap” from Aon Benfield's predictive-modeler Impact Forecasting, says Windstorm Ulli hit the United Kingdom and Scandinavia and extended into Germany and Denmark in the early part of the month. The storm killed two people and caused widespread damage primarily from high winds.

Trees were felled, causing damage to homes, public structures and vehicles—leading to thousands of claims throughout the region. Total damage is estimated to be approximately $306 million, the report says.

That storm was followed by Windstorm Andrea, which downed trees and power poles across the United Kingdom and portions of Northern Europe.

Heavy snows in Japan claimed 56 lives and injured 750 others, causing millions of dollars in damage.

In the United States, multiple winter storms throughout the nation, plus a rare January tornado in the South, caused more than $150 million in damages. In Alabama alone, insured losses from a tornado outbreak caused an estimated $30 million in insured losses.

Turning to Asia, Indonesia suffered severe weather events, causing damage estimated at $30 million. Insured losses are expected to be light. A tornado killed 14 people and wiped out 2,000 homes through provinces of Jakarta, Central Java, East Java and West Java.

There were also numerous instances of flooding and landslides throughout Asia, sections of Africa and Brazil.

Wind and rains from Tropical Cyclone Funso took 30 lives in Mozambique (no damage estimate was available), while Tropical Cyclone Heidi did minimal damage in Western Australia.

“Following an extremely active 2011, this year has already seen an elevated number of natural-disaster events,” Steve Jakubowski, president of Impact Forecasting, says in a statement. “However, contrary to last year, 2012 has thus far lacked what we would term a significant event.

“Climatology and the current La Niña phase suggest that heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones are a threat for the Southern Hemisphere,” he adds.

Special Reports /

January Weather Losses Reach Half-Billion-Dollar Mark

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