CoreLogic: Final Estimated Damages for Hurricane Helene to be Between $30.5 Billion and $47.5 Billion

Business Wire

Total insured loss estimated at $10.5 to $17.5 billion

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
CoreLogic^®, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, announced its updated and final damage estimates for Hurricane Helene.

According to this new and final data analysis, total flood and wind losses are between $30.5 billion and $47.5 billion. This estimate includes wind loss as well as insured and uninsured storm surge and inland flood loss for residential and commercial properties across 16 states. See Table 1 below for a detailed breakdown of peril loss estimates.

Insured flood loss from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and private insurance for residential and commercial properties is estimated to be between $6 billion and $11 billion, which includes both re-evaluated storm surge and new estimates for inland flooding.
Wind losses are estimated to be $4.5 billion to $6.5 billion.
Uninsured flood loss is estimated to be between $20 billion and $30 billion.

"When intense storm surge and flooding events, like Hurricane Helene, reach regions that are infrequently affected by natural hazards, we can expect to see damage to homes without flood insurance coverage. The fact that so much damage was concentrated outside the Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) makes it challenging to realize the full extent of impact to uninsured homeowners,” explains Jon Schneyer, Director of Catastrophe Response at CoreLogic. “Thankfully FEMA's NFIP is expected to provide up to $6.5 billion of insurance for the recovery efforts, which will help bring much needed recovery aid to the affected areas."

Table 1: Hurricane Helene Insured and Uninsured Wind and Flood Losses

Peril	Industry Loss (in billions)
Wind	$4.5 - $6.5
Flood¹	$6.0 - $11.0
Private Insured	$1.5 - $4.5
NFIP	$4.5 - $6.5
Total Insured Wind and Flood	$10.5 - $17.5
Uninsured Flood	$20.0 - $30.0
Total Wind and Flood (insured + uninsured):	$30.5 - $47.5

¹Losses paid by private insurers and the NFIP for recovery. Includes both inland flood and storm surge. Source: CoreLogic, 2024

More Information on Damage Estimates

Insured loss represents the amount insurers and NFIP will pay to cover damages. Unlike wind damage, which is covered by a standard homeowners policy, flood is a separate coverage which is not mandatory outside the designated SFHAs.

The analysis includes damage to both buildings and their contents of residential, commercial, and industrial structures including a time element component and does not include broader economic loss from the storm. The losses also include damage to automobiles. Damage to personal marine craft, offshore infrastructure, governmental structures, and infrastructure (like roads and bridges) are excluded.

Visit the CoreLogic Hazard HQ Command Central™ to get more details about the storm characteristics and data insights for Hurricane Helene.

Methodology

The U.S. Inland Flood Model models all sources of precipitation-driven flooding including riverine, stream, off-plain, and flash flooding. It delivers a comprehensive analytic view of the risk, utilizing widespread coverage of hydrologic and hydraulic data that reflects regional flooding and drainage patterns. As flood risk evolves due to urbanization and change in baseline stream and sea levels, the flood risk methodology from CoreLogic is designed to stay abreast of the latest flood risk data and research, ensuring continuity of risk insights into the future.

The CoreLogic North Atlantic Hurricane Model includes improved location risk and estimation through its robust stochastic event set, high-resolution hazard modeling, component-level vulnerability, and usage of PxPoint™, the structure- and parcel-level geocoding engine. With detailed and rigorously validated model outputs, the model provides the ability to calculate damage contributions from wind and storm surge, providing a transparent way of looking at loss as well as to obtain a better understanding of capital adequacy for the separate or combined perils of hurricane winds and coastal storm surge flooding. The model offers a complete view of the risk for all perils and sub-perils. The North Atlantic Hurricane Model is updated biennially and has been certified by the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology (FCHLPM) since the inception of the process in 1997.

Source: CoreLogic

The data provided are for use only by the primary recipient or the primary recipient's publication or broadcast. This data may not be resold, republished or licensed to any other source, including publications and sources owned by the primary recipient’s parent company without prior written permission from CoreLogic. Any CoreLogic data used for publication or broadcast, in whole or in part, must be sourced as coming from CoreLogic, a data and analytics company. For use with broadcast or web content, the citation must directly accompany first reference of the data. If the data is illustrated with maps, charts, graphs or other visual elements, the CoreLogic logo must be included on screen or website. For questions, analysis or interpretation of the data, contact [email protected] or Caitlin New at [email protected]. Data provided may not be modified without the prior written permission of CoreLogic. Do not use the data in any unlawful manner. This data is compiled from public records, contributory databases and proprietary analytics, and its accuracy is dependent upon these sources.

About CoreLogic

CoreLogic is a leading provider of property insights and innovative solutions, working to transform the property industry by putting people first. Using its network, scale, connectivity and technology, CoreLogic delivers faster, smarter, more human-centered experiences, that build better relationships, strengthen businesses, and ultimately create a more resilient society. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com.

CORELOGIC, the CoreLogic logo, PxPoint and Hazard HQ are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.