![\"Disasters](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Disasters-2013.jpg\")
<\/a>Disasters 2013<\/p><\/div>\n
According to the insurance firm, hail storms and flooding were the main drivers of insurance claims, with Asia hardest hit by natural disasters in terms of economic damage and loss of life, but Europe experienced the two most expensive natural disaster events in 2013.<\/p>\n
Globally, Africa accounted for the smallest percentage of loss from natural disasters (0.7%), with costs under US$1 billion spread across 44 catastrophic events.<\/p>\n
Across the globe, flooding and hailstorms were the largest contributors to damage and loss, with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes also causing havoc, the firm said.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Global spread of disasters<\/p><\/div>\n
South African woes<\/h3>\n
Recent flooding in Johannesburg left the city’s streets severely damaged, with potholes and collapsed roads and damaged bridges spread across the city.<\/p>\n
According to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) it will cost an estimated R23 million to repair the City\u2019s damaged road infrastructure network, including potholes and storm water drains – with the repair and rehabilitation of bridges and culverts expected to cost an additional estimated R37 million.<\/p>\n
Similarly, flood damage costs in other provinces and cities are also adding up – R100 million in the North West Province; over R124 million in Pretoria; and over R315 million in Limpopo province – which were all hit during the heavy rains.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Flooding, March 2014 (Sapa)<\/p><\/div>\n
In late 2013, Joburg was also hit by massive hailstorms which caused heavy damage to homes and vehicles.<\/p>\n
Following the storms, Aon South Africa, insurance brokers and risk management consultants, said that insurers and consumers had barely recovered from similar damage in 2012, when well over 25,000 claims were filed and the cost of the damage was in excess of R1 billion.<\/p>\n
According to Swiss RE, climate change, “which is widely acknowledged to be caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions”, is seen as a big driver of extreme weather events.<\/p>\n
“Rising temperatures are expected to lead to more frequent and severe extreme weather events in the future. If no action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is taken, these events are likely to become an increasingly important factor in the ongoing upward trend of total losses,” the firm said.<\/p>\n
More on South Africa<\/h3>\n
The economic impact of violence in South Africa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n What South Africans do on YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The truth about corruption in South Africa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n