European Winter Storm Per

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Posting Date: January 16, 2007, 10:30:00 AM

Winterstorm Per blew across Scandinavia on January 13-15, 2007, bringing damaging winds and flooding, and causing widespread travel and power disruptions. Reported observation data for the storm include sustained winds ranging from 65 kph to 83 kph and gusts up to 94 kph across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. While higher wind speeds have been reported in the media, they are unofficial and have not been confirmed. At its height, Per’s minimum central pressure was measured at 970 mb. Per’s winds uprooted trees, damaged roofs and knocked out power across the affected countries, though the southern half of Sweden bore the brunt of the storm. Per cut power to 280,000 Swedish households, and 50,000 had lost landline telephone service. On Monday afternoon, 180,000 houses were still without power, and an additional 3,000 Norwegian households lost power overnight on Monday as winds continued to lash the region. Per’s winds reportedly reduced a home under construction outside Bergen, Norway, to rubble. Finnish authorities reported flooding around Turku harbor. The Swedish Forest Agency estimates that 12 million cubic meters of forest was blown over in the storm. Its high seas and storm winds have been credited with significantly eroding a part of the Danish island of Anholt. Per also caused a cargo ship to break up off the Norwegian coast, causing an oil spill that, due to winds and high seas, is still being contained. The storm significantly interrupted rail, road, sea, and air travel. Rail service in Sweden has yet to be fully restored. All major bridges in Denmark were closed, as was the Oresund Bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden. Ferry travel around the Baltic Sea was also disrupted. Three fatalities were reported, all due to falling trees in Sweden. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute is calling Per the worst storm to hit that country since 2005’s Winterstorm Erwin. However, note that Erwin caused substantial loss in the UK and Denmark, in addition to significant forestry losses across Scandinavian countries other than Sweden--all of which were absent in this event. Using available meteorological information, AIR’s extratropical cyclone team has run loss simulations of Per using the AIR NWP-based Extratropical Cyclone Model for Europe. Based on current meteorological information, AIR does not expect significant wind-associated losses to onshore properties.

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Posting Date: January 16, 2007, 10:30:00 AM