2011 Record Year for Federal Disaster Declarations

Even though we are in October, 2011 is turning out to be a record year for federal disaster declarations, as noted by the Insurance Information Institute.

Some of the major disasters this year include:

• The Groundhog Day Blizzard (Jan. 29-Feb. 3): This large winter storm impacted numerous central, eastern and northeastern states, and brought Chicago to a virtual standstill.
• Southeast/Midwest Tornadoes (April 8-11): Fifty-nine tornadoes are believed to have formed within this time-frame, hitting nine central and southern states.
• Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes (April 14-16): About 160 tornadoes are estimated to have hit 10 states in the central and southeastern portions of the U.S.
• Southeast/Ohio Valley/Midwest Tornadoes (April 25-30): More than 300 tornadoes caused 327 deaths in the U.S. in late April, with 240 of the fatalities occurring in Alabama. Twelve other central and southern states were also impacted adversely by a series of tornadoes that caused nearly $7 billion in insured losses.
• Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes (May 22-27): The EF-5 tornado which struck Joplin, MO on May 22 is the single deadliest tornado to strike the U.S. since “modern tornado record keeping began in 1950,” The National Climatic Data Center observed. Fourteen other central and southern states were hit by this tornado outbreak in late May.
• Upper Midwest Flooding (Spring-Summer): These floods prompted the evacuation of nearly 11,000 people in Minot, North Dakota, as the Souris River overflowed. Numerous levees were breached along the Missouri River, flooding thousands of acres of farmland, as well.
• Hurricane Irene (August 20-29): Irene made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane, and moved northward up the Atlantic seaboard, causing major flooding in New Jersey, upstate New York, and Vermont. The insurance claims payouts resulting from Irene’s journey up the East Coast are estimated at up to $6 billion, according to risk modelers. 

As you can see, a number of these disasters occurred in the Midwest region.

The previous record was for 81 federal disaster declarations, which was recorded last year in 2010.

Source: http://www.iii.org/press_releases/2011-already-a-record-setting-year-for-federal-disaster-declarations.html