Extratropical windstorm Nils, also known as Ulrike, battered the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions in southwest France in mid-February, causing insurance industry losses of €586 million, according to an initial estimate from catastrophe data aggregator, PERILS.
The result was flooding in the Garonne, Dordogne, and Charente river basins, while Nils also produced exceptional avalanche risk in the Alps.
PERILS highlights the significant impact Nils had on physical assets, noting that at its peak, the windstorm cut electricity for 900,000 households, while transport halted. Strong winds damaged thousands of houses, roofs, and light-weight structures, and were the main driver of insured losses, according to the firm.
PERILS’ initial industry loss estimate of €586 million is based on data collected from affected insurance companies, and covers the property and motor line of business.
The catastrophe data aggregator will provide an updated loss estimate for Nils on May 13th, 2026, three months after the event end date.
“Nils’ wind footprint has a striking resemblance to Windstorm Klaus of January 2009. At the time, Klaus caused an industry loss of EUR 1,574 million, while for Nils losses were lower due to less intense wind gusts. Nevertheless, it represents a sizable event for the French insurance market and follows only a little over a month after Windstorm Goretti, which also significantly impacted France,” said Luzi Hitz, Product Manager at PERILS.
“While Nils not only brought damaging winds but also heavy rain and subsequent flooding, the majority of losses were caused by wind. This is why PERILS has classified the event as a windstorm, as the peril designation for a natural catastrophe is dictated by the peril which causes the majority of the losses. While the region affected by Nils was hit one week later by storm Pedro, the event falls outside of the prevailing 72-hours clause for storm event definition for reinsurance purposes in France and as such is not included in our Nils loss number,” added Hitz.
