Ashworth Mairs Group has estimated that damage to property from last week’s tornado in Birmingham could cost insurers about £400m.
The Association of British Insurers said it was too early to put a definite figure on the insured losses. But claims would be “certainly in the millions of pounds and potentially tens of millions”.
About half of the 1,500 victims do not have insurance.
Families and businesses called on help from the government but Birmingham City Council said it would not pay for repairs.
Meanwhile, the Metrological Office has confirmed a twister came close to causing widespread property damage on Monday evening in Bristol.
But the 1,000 ft phenomenon failed to make contact with the ground. It swept across a 15 mile area, including the suburbs of Hartcliffe, Keynsham and Whitchurch.
The Daily Telegraph reports how lives and property could be saved if floods, tornados and lightning could be accurately forecast.
References: Financial Times 03/08/05 page 4, The Daily Telegraph 03/08/05 page 8, page 21, The Independent 03/08/05 page 5, The Guardian 03/08/05 page 11, The Times 03/08/05 page 14
