This year witnessed an exceptional level of hurricane activity, reports Zurich-based Swiss Reinsurance Co.

According to the Swiss reinsurer’s data, it was unusual that six of the eight hurricanes in the US evolved into “intense” storms of Category 3 or more. It was also uncommon that four intense storms hit the same state of Florida, a situation that happened only in three other seasons: 1886, 1896 and 1964, the company states in its report “Hurricane Season 2004: Unusual but not Unexpected.”

 

The insured losses inflicted by the US hurricanes totaled $20 billion to $25 billion. Besides US, Japan was hit by the unusual number of typhoons. 10 storms have been observed in this country in 2004 accounting for $6 billion of insured losses. In 1990 and 1993, the country experienced six typhoons in one year.