Weather Risk

As Louisiana continues to recover from its latest major flood, insurance agents count their own losses as they assist clients.

Insured losses from Hermine will likely approach $500 million, with total economic damages close to $1 billion, according to an early estimate from Karen Clark & Company.

Hermine is weakening as it moves farther inland across Floridas Panhandle and southeastern Georgia, after largely sparing energy assets in the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm is forecast to hit northwest Florida, a region of the state with lower insured property value.

The National Hurricane Center says Hermine is likely to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane when it lands in Florida on Thursday night or early Friday.

Almost 9,000 people had been ordered to evacuate across Japans northern prefectures, while 370,000 were advised to seek refuge.