Fact Sheet and PowerPoint from Bob Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute in New York. Used for Florida media briefing on January 22, 2008.

Facts include:

Hurricanes are More Likely to Hit Florida than any Other U.S. State. 8 of the 10 most expensive hurricanes ever to make landfall in U.S. history hit Florida, causing more than $60 billion in insured losses (1992’s Hurricane Andrew, 2004’s Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, and 2005’s
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma).

The value of insured coastal property in Florida ranks first in the US and now exceeds $2 trillion.

37% of all hurricane landfalls occur in Florida; 38% of those are Category 3 or higher.

At least one hurricane strikes Florida every two years, on average, since 1900;

A Category 3 or stronger storm strikes the state every 4 years, on average

Two Category 5 hurricanes made landfall in North America in 2007, they just didn’t strike the U.S.  A Category 5 storm striking Florida in 2008 could easily produce losses exceeding $50 billion.

22 percent of all U.S. catastrophe losses since 1980 occurred in Florida.

Fl Hurricane Insurance Facts, Jan. 2008