Hurricane Karl

Post Landfall 5 | Summary
Posting Date: September 21, 2010, 10:35:00 AM

While economic losses from Hurricane Karl are likely to be significant, insurance take-up rates in Mexico are relatively low, so insured damage is expected to be much lower. As Karl was a small storm with hurricane force winds extending outward only 25 miles, the damaging wind footprint was limited mainly to Veracruz and the flood footprint extended only 50 to 75 miles inland. Using the available meteorological parameters and track for Hurricane Karl since its landfall, the AIR tropical cyclone team estimates that insured losses from this event are in the range of 1,300 million to 2,600 million MXN (100 million to 200 million USD). This loss estimate covers possible insured wind and flood damage to onshore properties in Mexico. Hurricane Karl, which made its second landfall in Mexico last Friday as a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, has caused several rivers and canals to overflow, inundating large portions of the state of Veracruz. The official death toll from over four days of flooding and mudslides is at 16, and tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated to shelters after being displaced from their flooded homes. The Ministry of the Interior has placed 116 out of the 274 municipalities in Veracruz under a state of emergency, making them eligible for assistance from FONDEN, Mexico’s natural disaster fund. Mexico has experienced one of the wettest seasons on record, with widespread flooding in February from unseasonal torrential rains, flooding in the northern states from the remnants of Hurricane Alex in July, and weeks of heavy rain affecting large portions of southern and eastern states earlier this month. In the state of Veracruz, more than 100,000 people from low-lying areas were already flooded out of their homes prior to the arrival of Karl. Hurricane Karl dissipated quickly as it came ashore, but its passage over the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains has produced approximately one foot of rainfall in the area, causing some rivers to rise to unprecedented levels. The Jamapa River, which runs across the state of Veracruz and empties into the Gulf of Mexico in the city of Boca del Río, and the Cotaxtla River, which runs farther south and joins the Jamapa near the mouth, are the source of much of the flooding. According to readings at hydrometer stations, on Sunday at the height of the flood, water levels on the Jamapa reached nearly 7 meters, about 0.85 meters above the critical level, and water levels on the Cotaxtla reached 7.8 meters, over 1 meter above the critical level. Officials continue to closely monitor the river levels, which are receding slowly. Veracruz officials estimate that half a million residents have been directly affected by the floods, and especially hard hit are the cities of Boca del Río, Cotaxtla, Carranza, Jamapa, and Medellín. Officials from the state of Oaxaca, just south of Veracruz, have reported 2000 flooded homes in their state. An estimated half a million hectares of cropland has been damaged. Main concerns currently are to provide drinking water, food, medicine, and housing to those affected. Temporary shelters have been set up across the state, but many residents have refused to leave their damaged homes amidst reports of theft. Several people have been arrested for looting, and the military has been deployed to ramp up security. The government has planned to undertake a survey of every house affected by the floods to detail the damage. The state sponsored temporary employment program will be expanded to allow people to repair their homes. The AIR tropical cyclone team will continue to monitor the effects of Hurricane Karl and will make additional information available as warranted by events.

Post Landfall 5 | Downloads
Posting Date: September 21, 2010, 10:35:00 AM