AonBenfield's catastrophe model development team reports thatan extremely active period for severe weather persisted in the United Statesthroughout March, as four separate significant outbreaks led toextensive damage in central and eastern parts of the country.

The most prolific outbreak from March 6-10 resulted in major damage from tornadoes, large hail andstraight-line winds in the Plains, Midwest and Southeast. Totaleconomic losses for this event alone were estimated at $1.7billion, while public and private insurance claims were listed at$1.2 billion.

The aggregated cost to the insurance industry from the fourevents was expected to exceed $2.0 billion.

Above-average number of storms

Through the first quarter of 2017, the U.S. has seen anabove-average number of storm reports.

Meanwhile, Cyclone Debbie made landfall in Australia,prompting flooding that killed 10 people in southeastern Queenslandand northern New South Wales. The Insurance Council of Australiadeclared an insurance catastrophe following extensive wind andflood damage, and preliminary data indicated that 35,370 claims hadbeen initially filed, with insurance payouts exceeding $310million. These totals were expected to rise, and the overalleconomic cost is forecast to be even higher.

Steve Bowen, Impact Forecasting director and meteorologist,said: "There was no shortage of significant natural disasters inMarch, and while re/insurers' focus was largely on the events inthe United States and Australia, there were other major occurrencesin emerging areas for the industry. For instance, a phenomenondeemed a 'coastal El Niño' was blamed on catastrophic flooding inboth Peru and Colombia, highlighting that there remain areas aroundthe world where insurance can play a critical role in helpingpeople in the aftermath of a disaster."

March global natural disasters

Further natural hazard events to have occurred worldwide duringMarch include:

• Separate severe weather outbreaks killed 19 people inGhana, damaged thousands of homes in Thailand, andcaused extensive damage to property and agriculture in China'sYunnan province.
• Cyclone Enawo made landfall in Madagascar andclaimed nearly 100 lives. As many as 85,000 homes were damaged ordestroyed and 434,000 people were directly affected.
• Windstorm Zeus came ashore in France, killingtwo people and leading to widespread wind damage. Total economicand insured losses were expected to well exceed $100 million.
• Catastrophic flooding — associated withwhat scientists are deeming a 'coastal El Niño' — led tocontinued damage in Peru and Colombia. More than 100 people werekilled by flooding and landslides in Peru and over 245,000 homesand structures were damaged or destroyed. Economic losses werelisted at upward of $3.1 billion. In Colombia, rains led to amassive debris flow in the town of Mocoa that left at least 301people dead and hundreds more injured. As many as 314 people werelisted as missing.
• Other major floods were recorded in NewZealand, Indonesia, Angola, and Zimbabwe.
• Severe drought conditions worsened in Africa'sSomalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya, as the United Nations appealed forUSD1.9 billion in aid.
• Sub-freezing temperatures led to an expected$1.0 billion cost to agriculture in the U.S. states of SouthCarolina and Georgia. Winter storm damage was also noted inCanada's Newfoundland.
• Wildfires claimed seven lives in the U.S.,following major fires in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, andColorado.
• A magnitude-5.0 earthquake in China's Yunnanprovince damaged nearly 45,000 structures.