Typhoon Dolphin caused heavy rain, flooding and transport disruption in eastern China after making landfall in Zhejiang on 9 August, following an earlier passage across southern Japan.
The storm came ashore in Taizhou, Zhejiang, before affecting parts of eastern China, including Shanghai. More than 300,000 people were evacuated ahead of landfall, while over 1,300 flights were cancelled in Shanghai, according to the Associated Press.
Chinese insurers have since begun settling claims related to the storm.
PICC P&C’s Ningbo branch paid CNY9,890 (US$1,465) on 8 August for damage to a new-energy vehicle struck by a collapsed retractable gate, according to an update from parent PICC as reported by Sina News. The insurer described it as the industry’s first motor payout related to Dolphin.
Its Zhoushan branch also settled a claim on 9 August after part of an elderly resident’s rural home collapsed, although the payout amount was not disclosed.
In Shanghai, PICC P&C settled a CNY7,500 motor claim after a vehicle in Fengxian district was damaged by falling debris, completing the process in around 20 minutes.
Other insurers have also begun processing losses. Taiping P&C Ningbo completed its first Dolphin-related motor payout on 9 August, according to CBI News. Ping An P&C reported settling a motor claim in Yuyao after a vehicle was hit by airborne debris. Neither disclosed the value of the claims.
Before making landfall in China, Dolphin passed through southern Japan, particularly Okinawa and Kagoshima. Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 14 people were injured and 93 homes were damaged or flooded, including 12 injured people and seven partly damaged homes in Okinawa.
The storm also caused power outages affecting more than 50,000 buildings across Okinawa and Kagoshima at its peak, according to Reuters. No aggregate insured-loss or claims figure for Japan has been disclosed as of writing.
The latest payouts come less than a month after Chinese insurers paid nearly CNY3.5bn in claims across 20 provinces following a series of rainstorms, flooding, landslides and Typhoon Bavi. As of 13 July, insurers had received nearly 380,000 claims with estimated losses of CNY6.38bn. Estimated losses from Bavi reached CNY540m, with CNY70m paid at the time.
