Cost of disaster escalates, US worst hit with calamities in 2017: Report

Disasters in 2017 caused losses of $306 billion, according to a report from insurance giant Swiss Re.

The figure represents a 63 per cent jump from last year, and is well above the average of the past decade, the BBC quoted the report as saying late Wednesday.

The US was hardest hit, with hurricanes in the Caribbean and the southern US, earthquakes in Mexico and wildfires in California.

Despite the rise in the financial cost of disasters, there was no significant increase in the loss of lives.

Swiss Re said more than 11,000 people died or went missing in disaster events in 2017, which is similar to 2016's figure.

A report by the firm's research arm Sigma found insured losses amounted to $136 billion, more than double last year's total and the third highest on record, the BBC reported.

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria together caused insured losses of about $93 billion, according to the report.

But Swiss Re said the insurance industry had demonstrated that it could cope very well with such high losses, despite gaps in protection remaining.

"If the industry is able to extend its reach, many more people and businesses can become better equipped to withstand the fallout from disaster events", said Martin Bertogg, head of catastrophe perils at Swiss Re.