Modelling Insured Catastrophe Losses

Abstract

Catastrophic events affect various regions of the world with increasing frequency and intensity. Large catastrophic events can be caused by natural phenomena or are caused by man. Serious events in recent years are often the result of terrorist acts. Catastrophe modelling is a risk management tool that uses specific methods and computer technology to help insurers, reinsurers and risk managers better assess the potential losses caused by natural and man-made catastrophes. This article describes and applies the parametric curve-fitting methods for modelling historical insured catastrophe losses. Article provides theoretical description of the Excess over Threshold Method (EOT) and presents its application to the data about insured catastrophe losses in the world in period 1970-2014, published in No 2/2015 Swiss Re study Sigma. The modelling using the EOT method follows the assumptions and conclusions in a generalized Pareto family with unknown parameters. Consequently application part of the article comprises the results of fitted insured catastrophe losses by generalized Pareto distribution using the maximum likelihood method for parameters estimation to the data above a high threshold.