CoreLogic has released its annual Natural Hazard Risk Summary and Analysis, whichreviews hazard activity in the U.S. each year, including events forflooding, earthquake, wildfire, wind, hail, tornado and hurricanes,as well as international events.

2017 was a year of record-breaking catastrophes with HurricanesHarvey, Irma and Maria, and the devastating wildfires inCalifornia. Aside from the two flood and wildfire categories, 2017saw relatively average activity for most U.S. natural hazards.

Related: U.S. weather disaster losses total record-setting$306 billion in 2017

Corelogic's 2017 report assesses all of the past year's natural disasters using granular hazard riskdata and services. This evaluation accounts for both the physicalscale as well as the financial burden of the damage caused duringthe calendar year. It also assesses the risk levels for bothresidential and commercial properties, and it draws implicationsabout what this means for 2018.

Here are highlights from each hazard category of Corelogic's2017 Natural Hazard Risk Summary and Analysis:

Flood

Flooding from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma resulted in anestimated $69 billion to $105 billion in residential and commercialdamage.

California and the Midwest also experienced significant rainfallthat resulted in flooding. According to the National Centers forEnvironmental Information (NCEI), total property loss from theCalifornia winter floods is estimated at $1.5 billion and totalproperty loss from the Midwest (between Oklahoma and Ohio)April/May flooding is estimated at $1.7 billion.   

Related: Mitigating the No. 1 natural disaster in theU.S.

Flood damage in Texas from Hurricane Harvey is estimated at $40billion to $59 billion, of which $25 billion to $37 billion isresidential damage and $15 billion to $22 billion is commercialdamage.

Approximately 75% of the flood damage to residential propertiesfrom Hurricane Harvey was uninsured.  

Flood damage in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina andSouth Carolina from Hurricane Irma is estimated at $29 billion to$46 billion, of which $25 billion to $38 billion is residentialdamage and $4 billion to $8 billion is commercial damage.

Approximately 80% of the flood damage to residential propertiesfrom Hurricane Irma was uninsured.

Hurricane Harvey caused widespread flooding in Texas. (APPhoto)

AtlanticHurricanes

Hurricane activity in the Atlantic was higher than average in2017 with 17 named storms, 10 hurricanes and six major hurricanes,which are identified as Category 3 or greater.

Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm that made landfall inTexas, caused an estimated $1 billion to $2 billion in insured windand storm surge loss to both residential and commercial properties,and Hurricane Irma, a Category 4 storm that made landfall in SouthFlorida, caused an estimated $14 billion to $19 billion in insuredwind and storm surge loss to both residential and commercialproperties.

An aerial view of damage caused by Hurricane Harvey inRockport, Texas, taken on August 28, 2017. (Photo:Shutterstock)

Wind

Due in large part to the strong winds brought by HurricanesHarvey and Irma, the land area impacted by severe winds (>80mph) was more than four times greater than in 2016.

At 37%, more than one-third of the continental U.S. experiencedwind events of 60 mph or higher in 2017.  

Port Aransas, Texas recorded the highest wind speed of the yearat 131 mph during Hurricane Harvey.

Western Nebraska recorded the strongest wind gust associatedwith severe thunderstorms of the year at 115 mph on June 26,2017.

Related: 3 steps to disaster-proofing your insuranceagency

Wildfires devastated northern California in 2017. (Photosource: AP Photo)

Wildfire

The total number of acres burned (9,791,062, acres) in 2017 isthe third highest in U.S. history, preceded by 2015 (10,125,149acres) and 2006 (9,873,745 acres).   

The 10 most destructive wildfires in 2017, in terms ofstructures destroyed, were in California and include:

• The Tubbs Fire in northern California which burned 36,807 acresand 5,643 structures.
• Until the Tubbs Fire, the two worst wildfires in Californiahistory — Tunnel in 1991 and Cedar in 2003 —destroyed 5,720 structures combined.
• The Nuns Fire in northern California which burned 54,382 acresand 1,355 structures.
• The Thomas Fire in southern California which burned 281,893acres and 1,063 structures.
• The Atlas Fire in northern California which burned 51,624 acresand 781 structures.
• The Redwood Valley Fire in southern California which burned36,523 acres and 544 structures.
• The Cascade Fire in northern California which burned 9,989acres and 398 structures.
• The Lilac Fire in southern California which burned 4,100 acresand 157 structures.
• The Detwiler Fire in Mariposa County, California which burned81,826 acres and 131 structures.
• The Creek Fire in southern California which burned 15,619 acresand 123 structures.
• The Helena Fire in Trinity County, California which burned21,846 acres and 123 structures.  

Related: The aftermath of wildfires: Insurance coveragequestions answered

(Photo: Shutterstock)

Earthquake

As of December 1, there were 818 identified earthquakes ofmagnitude 3.0 or greater across the country.

The most notable earthquake events in 2017 include:

• In 2016, approximately 60%t of the total number of earthquakesoccurred in Oklahoma, compared with only 28 percent in2017.  
• A Magnitude 5.8 earthquake near Lincoln, Montana on July6.
• A Magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Soda Springs, Idaho onSeptember 2.
• A Magnitude 4.1 earthquake in Delaware on November 30.

Related: New report details financial impact of September'shistorical natural disasters

(Photo: Shutterstock)

Hail

Hail activity for 2017 was near average with 168,905 squaremiles, or 5.5%, of the continental U.S. impacted by severe hail,defined as 1" or greater.

Denver, Colorado experienced the worst of this natural hazardwith estimated losses of $1.4 billion from approximately 150,000auto insurance claims and approximately 50,000 homeowner insuranceclaims.

(Photo: Shutterstock)

Tornadoes

The number of tornadoes in 2017 was above average with 1,522recorded tornadoes, making it the third most active year since2005.

With 81 confirmed tornadoes between Mississippi and Georgia, themonth of January experienced the most tornado activity in2017. 

Related: 5 keys to 'insuring' a safer 2018