Swiss Re: Increase in Population, Assets Raises Risk of Higher Insured Natural Catastrophe Losses

09:37 AM EDT, 09/16/2026 (MT Newswires) -- A Category 5 hurricane hitting the Miami or Tampa Bay area in the US state of Florida could result in insured losses of at least $300 billion amid an increase in population and asset values in areas exposed to natural catastrophes, according to an analysis by Swiss Re Institute. In a Wednesday release, Swiss Re (SREN.SW) said population growth and accumulation of assets in exposed areas such as those in Florida and in other parts of the world raise the risk of higher insured natural catastrophe losses. "The Atlantic hurricane season has been relatively quiet so far this year, but it only takes one major storm making landfall in a highly exposed area to turn a quiet season into a costly one. One hundred years after the Great Miami Hurricane, the question is not simply how powerful the next major hurricane will be, but what it will encounter when it reaches shore," said Balz Grollimund, Swiss Re's head of catastrophe perils. The Swiss reinsurer also noted stronger building codes and wind-resistant construction as key elements that could help lower insured losses related to hurricanes, alongside catastrophe modelling, disciplined accumulation management and effective mitigation to manage risks.