May 17, 2011
By: Jana Bell
Floods that led to severe property damage and a high number of homeowners insurance claims may have spawned from the same slow-moving storm system that created tornadoes last month, said a report.
Alert Worldwide reported tornadoes, hail and severe winds were brought about in early April by an extended and slow storm system over the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys. That same system lasted for an entire month, leading to heavy precipitation and record floods in May, said the report. A meteorological blocking pattern known as an Omega block essentially trapped a jet stream of damaging weather directly over those valleys, contributing to an extended period of unsettled conditions.
A similar occurrence was noted in June 1993 and played a part in a similarly large Mississippi River flood, said the report. Citing data from Munich Re, the analysis added property insurance losses totaled $1.27 billion in the 1993 storm, or $2.6 billion in today's dollars.
It's not yet clear how much home insurance companies will pay out in losses after this spring's flooding. The high flood waters will likely also lead to damage in Louisiana and other states before heading out to the Gulf of Mexico, according to various reports.
For more about flood insurance you can visit: Flood Smart
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