The North American monsoon that brought severe storms and heavy rainfall to Arizona in late September may result in hundreds of millions of dollars in insured losses, according to Aon.
The event affected the south-central region of the state, including Phoenix and the city of Globe, located nearly 90 miles away. Aon reported that floodwaters and mud inundated numerous homes and businesses in downtown Globe.
Vehicles were swept off roads, carried into canyons, and pushed against bridges. Floodwaters also contained approximately 1,000 propane tanks, which created hazardous debris and chemical risks, Aon said.
Separately, Hurricane Imelda reached peak wind speeds of 100 mph on Oct. 1. Notable damage was reported in Nassau, the Bahamas, according to Aon.
Aon projected that insured losses from the Arizona storms could reach into the tens of millions of dollars, a similar estimate to the losses expected from the remnants of hurricanes Gabrielle and Humberto, which affected western Europe from Sept. 25 to Oct. 3.
Gabrielle brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to Portugal, Spain, and Italy, causing flooding and infrastructure damage. In the Azores, high winds toppled trees and led to flight disruptions between September 25 and 27. Eastern Spain experienced significant damage to infrastructure and vehicles across several provinces and islands.
Aon also noted that the remnants of Humberto, combined with Windstorm Amy, were expected to impact Ireland and the United Kingdom, with wind gusts potentially reaching 100 mph.
The Arizona monsoon losses are part of a broader trend of severe weather events this year. Late April storms across the central and eastern United States resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in insured losses, with Texas, Oklahoma, and southern Missouri among the most affected states, according to Aon. The National Weather Service reported hail as large as 5.2 inches in Texas and widespread damage from thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding.
Aon also reported that global insured catastrophe losses for the first quarter of 2025 are projected to reach or exceed $53 billion, with $37.5 billion attributed to January wildfires in Los Angeles. These figures mark the costliest first quarter for insured catastrophe losses since 2011.
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