From Hurricanes to Tornadoes, 2023 Marks Another Record-Breaking Year for Severe Weather

Severe weather continued to break records in 2023, escalating property risks for many homeowners in the U.S. as they grapple with rising costs and a shifting insurance market. A string of disastrous tornadoes in Middle Tennessee earlier this month contributed to what appeared to be the state’s deadliest December and eighth deadliest year for tornadoes, according to reports — only adding to a record-breaking year for convective storms that caused more than $52.7 billion in insured losses as of Dec. 8.

This year’s hurricane season was also marked by alarming trends. Fueled by record-high ocean temperatures, the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific saw a higher-than-average number of storms, many of which “rapidly intensified,” the New York Times reported Dec. 2. The Atlantic hurricane season, in particular, ranked fourth for the most named storms in a single year.

“The storms just pop up quickly and then rapidly intensify —?that is what we are seeing,” said James Jefferson , Manager, Personal Insurance, Burns & Wilcox, Oxford, Mississippi. “They are also all over the place. California had more hurricanes than Mississippi and Alabama this year, which is unusual. The risk to homeowners is just continuing to rise. It is almost like you cannot escape it anywhere in the country right now, from hurricanes to tornadoes popping up everywhere.”

With rebuilding costs on the rise, all of these factors contribute to a more challenging market for Homeowners Insurance in many areas, making it even more important for homeowners to review their policies for details on roof coverage, wind and hail deductibles, and more.

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