AIR Worldwide Reports Fla. Losses at $5 Billion to $10 Billion from Frances

While significantly less intense than Hurricane Charley in terms of sustained wind speeds at landfall, AIR Worldwide estimates that total
insured losses for Florida from Frances will fall within a very similar
range: between $5 and $10 billion.

This is reportedly the result of two important factors: the immense size of the storm system and its slow forward speed. According to AIR, “While we do not expect to see the kinds of severe structural damage we saw in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley, we are likely to see many more smaller claims distributed across a much wider geographical area, which can quickly add up to reach roughly similar
numbers.”

At landfall, Hurricane Frances was approximately three times the size of Charley, affecting a swath comprising a large part of the Florida peninsula. Hurricane force winds, extended outward approximately 80 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extended approximately 200 miles on either side of the track.

Exacerbating the potential damage, Hurricane Frances virtually crawled toward Florida, battering coastal properties with tropical storm and hurricane force winds long before the center of the storm actually crossed the coastline.