The severe convective storm (SCS), tornadoes, and flooding that struck the southeast US from December 26-29 may lead to combined economic and insured losses reaching hundreds of millions of USD, according to global insurance and reinsurance broker Aon.
On December 28 and into the following morning, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) received over 400 storm reports, including 102 tornado reports. Eastern Texas to Georgia experienced widespread effects, with the strongest storms concentrated in southeast Texas and central Mississippi.
As of January 1, damage surveys from 10 National Weather Service (NWS) offices confirmed at least 81 tornadoes during the outbreak, with additional reports under review.
The storms affected nine states, resulting in four fatalities, at least 25 injuries, and power outages for over 600,000 customers.
In Texas, suburbs of Houston such as Porter Heights, Splendora, Katy, and Alvin sustained significant tornado damage. Montgomery County reported more than 300 damaged buildings, with additional damage in Chambers and Brazoria counties.
Central Mississippi also faced severe impacts. According to MEMA, nearly 300 homes and hundreds of other structures were damaged across at least 23 counties. Reports included flipped vehicles and widespread downed trees and powerlines.
Other states in the region experienced similar destruction. In Athens, Alabama, an EF-1 tornado damaged dozens of downtown buildings.
Aon stated, “Given the extent of severe weather impacts across the southeast U.S., including multiple towns sustaining significant tornado damage, aggregated economic and insured losses may reach into the hundreds of millions USD.”
