Nicholas insured losses about $950M: Karen Clark

Insured losses from Hurricane Nicholas will be close to $950 million, Boston-based catastrophe modeler Karen Clark & Co. said Monday.

KCC’s estimate includes privately insured damage to residential, commercial and industrial properties.

Hurricane Nicholas made landfall Sept. 14 as a Category 1 hurricane near Sargant Beach, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour. Nicholas intensified more than expected prior to landfall and made an unexpected eastward shift of about 50 miles.

Hurricane-force winds were isolated to coastal areas and most wind impacts were from tropical storm force winds, according to KCC’s analysis.

In the Bay City area near where Nicholas made landfall, structural roof damage, damage to exterior walls and siding damage were reported, KCC said. Further inland, most impacts included low-level wind damage with more significant damage from downed trees.

Over 500,000 people were left without power due to high winds and downed trees that knocked out power lines, KCC said.

Nicholas was the 14th named storm and sixth hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.