Storm safety and recovery

Tropical cyclones worldwide are moving more slowly over land and water. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Catastrophic weather events seem all too common these days. In 2017, damage from natural catastrophes contributed to an annual total of about $134 billion in claims, the second-largest insurance impact in history.

A study published in Nature in June 2018 showed that tropical cyclones worldwide are moving more slowly over land and water, dumping more rain as they stall. We saw this firsthand with Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which was followed quickly that year by the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.