NU Online News Service, July 22, 3:45 p.m. EDT
With tornadoes last week in the Midwest and fires in Arizona this week, 2010 is shaping up to be a busy year disaster wise for insurers, with one incident already getting a catastrophe designation.
On June 17, Minnesota was hit with 39 tornadoes that resulted in three deaths and damage or destruction to hundreds of homes, businesses and vehicles in the state, according to the state's Department of Public Safety.
A total of 13 counties were hit by the weather front that also resulted in a reported 26 funnel clouds, 11 reports of damage from thunderstorm winds and 69 reports of hail.
In worst-hit Wadena County alone, more than 200 homes were damaged or destroyed, the high school and state community college were severely damaged, and the county's community center along with other community and private commercial structures were destroyed. More than 60 vehicles were totaled, the department said.
In Arizona, several forest fires are raging throughout the state. The largest is the Schultz Fire, which has claimed close to 9,000 acres and is zero percent contained.
According to the U.S. Forest Services Incident Information System, the fire has claimed no structures and is located east of Flagstaff and north of Mount Elden.
On the property and casualty insurance side, Gary Kerney, assistant vice president of Property Claim Services, a subsidiary of Jersey City, N.J.-based Insurance Services Office Inc., said in an e-mail: "PCS assigned a catastrophe serial number to insured property damage that occurred across a multiple-state area, including Minnesota, as the result of severe weather [last week]. In addition, PCS is monitoring the fires currently burning in Arizona, but no catastrophe serial number has been assigned.
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