Hurricane Barry fizzled quickly into a tropical storm, but the weather event generated nearly $300 million in insured losses, according to the catastrophe modeling firm Karen Clark & Company.
KCC said its estimate includes privately insured wind and storm surge damage to residential, commercial and industrial properties and automobiles. Not covered by its estimates: National Flood Insurance Program losses.
The storm was considered a tropical disturbance July 10 as it moved through the northeast Gulf of Mexico. By late morning the next day, it had become Tropical Storm Barry. It strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane a few days later, making landfall in Intracoastal City, La. Soon after, however, it weakened back into a tropical storm.
Barry caused power outages in nearly 150,000 homes and businesses, causing relatively small insured losses over a large area, KCC said. While rainfall as high as 25 inches did not occur as predicted, there was flash flooding in isolated areas with precipitation as heavy as three inches an hour. KCC said that more flooding could occur through July 17 as heavy ran bands continue north through Arkansas and Tennessee.
Source: Karen Clark & Company