Talas leaves up to $600 million in insured losses in Japan: AIR Worldwide

BOSTON—Insured losses in Japan from Tropical Storm Talas could reach up to $600 million, Boston-based AIR Worldwide said Wednesday.

AIR said that although the storm, which made landfall Saturday, was weak when it came ashore, it was “unusually large.”

“After making landfall, Talas moved into an area of moderate wind shear” with a wind speed of about 17 mph to 24 mph along the western edge of a “deep-layered subtropical ridge (that) slowed the storm considerably,” Peter Sousounis, principal scientist at AIR, said in a statement concerning the storm.

“Since Talas was slow-moving, taking a full day to track across Japan, which is almost twice as long as had been forecast, its heavy precipitation was particularly damaging,” he said.

AIR said the damage picture as a result of Talas “continues to emerge,” noting that estimated insured damage could range from $150 million to $600 million.