what is the annual damage cost resulting from volcano eruptions? Insurance losses??

don kirkham

Hi Don,

That one is pretty difficult to answer, mainly because the number and size of eruptions from year to year is so variable. It is similar to the answer to How many people are killed by eruptions each year? Some years it is a lot - other years it isnt many at all. According to a table in the book Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis an Anatomy of Hazards by Karl Steinbrugge, the major losses from the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption totaled 969.8 million dollars. This included losses to forestry, clean-up, property, agriculture, income, and transport. Total insurence claims as of December 1980 were almost 12 million dollars. As far as Economic loss, insured losses totaled 27 million dollars and uninsured losses totaled 1.5 billion dollars.

Sincerely, Scott Rowland

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