Dorian industry insured losses seen in several billions of dollars: Munich Re

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Insured losses from Hurricane Dorian are expected to total several billions of dollars, German reinsurer Munich Re said on Sunday.

Board member Torsten Jeworrek, speaking at an industry conference, said that the estimate was a “rough guess” as damage was still to be tallied.

Dorian ripped into the Bahamas earlier this week, leaving a trail of destruction and death, before pounding parts of North Carolina and moving on to Canada.

Separately, Jeworrek said he expected reinsurance rates to rise further across the industry, stabilizing after years of declines.

The “clear expectation” is a “further stabilisation and price increases,” Jeworrek said.

Swiss Re , a major competitor, said it also expected rate increases in areas hit by heavy losses, but more stable rates elsewhere amid abundant capital.

(Reporting by Tom Sims; editing by John Stonestreet and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)