Steve Bowen
@stevebowen.bsky.social
Work: Chief Science Officer @GallagherRe
Alumnus: Notre Dame (MSc: Business Analytics). Florida State (BS: Meteorology).
Healthy Obsessions: Weather & Climate Nerdery. Metallica. Notre Dame. Chicago Sports (Blackhawks, Cubs, Bears, Bulls).
Views: Mine
Alumnus: Notre Dame (MSc: Business Analytics). Florida State (BS: Meteorology).
Healthy Obsessions: Weather & Climate Nerdery. Metallica. Notre Dame. Chicago Sports (Blackhawks, Cubs, Bears, Bulls).
Views: Mine
November 9/10: Rather exceptional snowfall forecast here in the greater Chicago metro region, including northwest Indiana. Very dangerous driving conditions given snowfall rates could be 3+ inches per hour (plus 30 mph winds). Locations just miles apart could see dramatically different snow totals.
November 10, 2025 at 1:18 AM
November 9/10: Rather exceptional snowfall forecast here in the greater Chicago metro region, including northwest Indiana. Very dangerous driving conditions given snowfall rates could be 3+ inches per hour (plus 30 mph winds). Locations just miles apart could see dramatically different snow totals.
November 6: #Fung-wong is very quickly organizing as it heads towards the Philippines. This could be a very powerful typhoon as it heads through the archipelago.
Parts of the Philippines are still in early stages of recovery following catastrophic flooding from #Kalmaegi.
Parts of the Philippines are still in early stages of recovery following catastrophic flooding from #Kalmaegi.
November 6, 2025 at 11:17 PM
November 6: #Fung-wong is very quickly organizing as it heads towards the Philippines. This could be a very powerful typhoon as it heads through the archipelago.
Parts of the Philippines are still in early stages of recovery following catastrophic flooding from #Kalmaegi.
Parts of the Philippines are still in early stages of recovery following catastrophic flooding from #Kalmaegi.
Many parts of the world have successfully translated investment into renewable energy as the dominant provider of electricity for its citizens. This is the way.
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity
Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.
electrek.co
November 6, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Many parts of the world have successfully translated investment into renewable energy as the dominant provider of electricity for its citizens. This is the way.
I'll keep repeating this truth. There are few industries that understand the complex realities of how climate change is affecting the world today more than insurance.
Physical risk. Non-physical risk. Liability risk. Reputational risk. Etc.
We see it.
www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/brea...
Physical risk. Non-physical risk. Liability risk. Reputational risk. Etc.
We see it.
www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/brea...
Climate slips down the agenda, but insurers warn it's the "risk that amplifies all others"
Polycrisis pressures have pushed this exposure down the corporate priority list
www.insurancebusinessmag.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:02 PM
I'll keep repeating this truth. There are few industries that understand the complex realities of how climate change is affecting the world today more than insurance.
Physical risk. Non-physical risk. Liability risk. Reputational risk. Etc.
We see it.
www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/brea...
Physical risk. Non-physical risk. Liability risk. Reputational risk. Etc.
We see it.
www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/brea...
Typhoon Kalmaegi headed to Vietnam after causing catastrophic flash flooding in the Philippines. Parts of Vietnam have dealt with exceptional flooding from storms since September. Those flood damage costs are estimated beyond $2.04 billion.
Yet another storm (Fung-wong) on deck for the Philippines.
Yet another storm (Fung-wong) on deck for the Philippines.
November 5, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Typhoon Kalmaegi headed to Vietnam after causing catastrophic flash flooding in the Philippines. Parts of Vietnam have dealt with exceptional flooding from storms since September. Those flood damage costs are estimated beyond $2.04 billion.
Yet another storm (Fung-wong) on deck for the Philippines.
Yet another storm (Fung-wong) on deck for the Philippines.
REMINDER: An "insured loss" is simply the portion of economic loss costs from an event that is covered by insurance. It is not an added loss value on top of an economic loss.
Seeing multiple news agencies interchangeably refer to an insured loss estimate as a total economic loss. Incorrect.
Seeing multiple news agencies interchangeably refer to an insured loss estimate as a total economic loss. Incorrect.
November 3, 2025 at 8:40 PM
REMINDER: An "insured loss" is simply the portion of economic loss costs from an event that is covered by insurance. It is not an added loss value on top of an economic loss.
Seeing multiple news agencies interchangeably refer to an insured loss estimate as a total economic loss. Incorrect.
Seeing multiple news agencies interchangeably refer to an insured loss estimate as a total economic loss. Incorrect.
That was the Bearsiest Bears game in the history of Bearsing that I've ever seen as a Bears fan.
a man wearing a helmet and scarf stands in front of a crowd of people
ALT: a man wearing a helmet and scarf stands in front of a crowd of people
media.tenor.com
November 2, 2025 at 9:37 PM
That was the Bearsiest Bears game in the history of Bearsing that I've ever seen as a Bears fan.
Important article on the incredibly complex and nearly impossible tightrope walk for the California insurance market with the wildfire peril.
One correction is needed. Traditional catastrophe models now allowed to be used for pricing are NOT climate change models.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/u...
One correction is needed. Traditional catastrophe models now allowed to be used for pricing are NOT climate change models.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/u...
November 2, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Important article on the incredibly complex and nearly impossible tightrope walk for the California insurance market with the wildfire peril.
One correction is needed. Traditional catastrophe models now allowed to be used for pricing are NOT climate change models.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/u...
One correction is needed. Traditional catastrophe models now allowed to be used for pricing are NOT climate change models.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/u...
Sports. The creator of irrational highs and lows. Can't get enough!
November 2, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Sports. The creator of irrational highs and lows. Can't get enough!
Every Halloween, this is apparently the scariest thing in the neighborhood. Without fail, at least one person stops and asks if this 'thing' is invading people's privacy.
The look of bewilderment when it's revealed that this is a weather station never ceases to be hilarious. 😂
The look of bewilderment when it's revealed that this is a weather station never ceases to be hilarious. 😂
October 31, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Every Halloween, this is apparently the scariest thing in the neighborhood. Without fail, at least one person stops and asks if this 'thing' is invading people's privacy.
The look of bewilderment when it's revealed that this is a weather station never ceases to be hilarious. 😂
The look of bewilderment when it's revealed that this is a weather station never ceases to be hilarious. 😂
#Melissa: Jamaica will receive an insurance payment of $70.8mn from its policy through the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF); a record for the program. Combined with the expected full $150mn payout from Jamaica's catastrophe bond, this will be important liquidity.
(1/2)
(1/2)
October 31, 2025 at 7:21 PM
#Melissa: Jamaica will receive an insurance payment of $70.8mn from its policy through the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF); a record for the program. Combined with the expected full $150mn payout from Jamaica's catastrophe bond, this will be important liquidity.
(1/2)
(1/2)
ICYMI: Staggering rainfall in Vietnam in the past week. Bach Ma mountain near Hue City recorded a one-day rainfall of 1,740 mm (68.50 in). This is unofficially the second highest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded globally.
Record: 1,825 mm / 71.85 in La Réunion; January 7-8, 1966
(1/2)
Record: 1,825 mm / 71.85 in La Réunion; January 7-8, 1966
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October 31, 2025 at 6:04 PM
ICYMI: Staggering rainfall in Vietnam in the past week. Bach Ma mountain near Hue City recorded a one-day rainfall of 1,740 mm (68.50 in). This is unofficially the second highest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded globally.
Record: 1,825 mm / 71.85 in La Réunion; January 7-8, 1966
(1/2)
Record: 1,825 mm / 71.85 in La Réunion; January 7-8, 1966
(1/2)
Thanks to @afreedma.bsky.social for the inclusion in this piece. An honor to share quotes with some of the biggest titans in tropical cyclone research.
I spent much of Tuesday talking to some of the top hurricane experts in the country about how climate change helped turn Hurricane Melissa into such a beast of a storm. Here's what they told me: www.cnn.com/2025/10/29/c...
Why Hurricane Melissa turned into a supercharged monster | CNN
Hotter-than-average Caribbean water made Hurricane Melissa stronger and wetter. Its part of a trend that scientists link back to climate change.
www.cnn.com
October 29, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Thanks to @afreedma.bsky.social for the inclusion in this piece. An honor to share quotes with some of the biggest titans in tropical cyclone research.
Received a few questions regarding insurance in Jamaica. Roughly 20% of residential properties currently have insurance. However. Of that ~20%, a remarkable 95% of those properties are "underinsured" -- or not insured for the full value of their home. #Melissa
jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news...
jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news...
IAJ sounds alarm as 95% of J’can homes underinsured amid hurricane season
With the 2025 hurricane now under way, the Insurance Association of Jamaica (IAJ) has launched a new public education campaign urging Jamaican property owners, both locally and abroad, to urgently reassess their insurance coverage before disaster...
jamaica-gleaner.com
October 28, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Received a few questions regarding insurance in Jamaica. Roughly 20% of residential properties currently have insurance. However. Of that ~20%, a remarkable 95% of those properties are "underinsured" -- or not insured for the full value of their home. #Melissa
jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news...
jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news...
October 28 12:45pm ET: #Melissa in the process of coming ashore. Very concerned about Montego Bay getting into the eyewall. The whole island right now is taking the worst of what Melissa was going to bring: exceptional winds, blinding heavy rainfall, and extensive coastal storm surge.
October 28, 2025 at 4:49 PM
October 28 12:45pm ET: #Melissa in the process of coming ashore. Very concerned about Montego Bay getting into the eyewall. The whole island right now is taking the worst of what Melissa was going to bring: exceptional winds, blinding heavy rainfall, and extensive coastal storm surge.
#Melissa: It is not hyperbolic to say that parts of western and central Jamaica will be unrecognizable once the storm passes. This is one of the strongest known tropical cyclones to make landfall anywhere in the world.
And.
Yet another example of a strengthening storm up to the point of landfall.
And.
Yet another example of a strengthening storm up to the point of landfall.
October 28, 2025 at 2:22 PM
#Melissa: It is not hyperbolic to say that parts of western and central Jamaica will be unrecognizable once the storm passes. This is one of the strongest known tropical cyclones to make landfall anywhere in the world.
And.
Yet another example of a strengthening storm up to the point of landfall.
And.
Yet another example of a strengthening storm up to the point of landfall.
This whole thread. Perfection.
Climate change DEFINITELY affects hurricane:
STRENGTH: Warmer water is hurricane food
RAINFALL: Warm air holds more water vapor
SURGE: Warmer water expands, warmer ice melts, sea levels rise
PREDICTION: hotter seas mean faster intensification
STRENGTH: Warmer water is hurricane food
RAINFALL: Warm air holds more water vapor
SURGE: Warmer water expands, warmer ice melts, sea levels rise
PREDICTION: hotter seas mean faster intensification
October 28, 2025 at 1:52 PM
This whole thread. Perfection.
Updated #Melissa stats:
✓ 7th known Atlantic hurricane with sub-900 millibar intensity
✓ One of 10 known Atlantic hurricanes to reach at least 180 mph sustained winds (1-minute average)
✓ 2024 & 2025: First back-to-back Atlantic seasons with 180+ mph / <900mb hurricanes
✓ 7th known Atlantic hurricane with sub-900 millibar intensity
✓ One of 10 known Atlantic hurricanes to reach at least 180 mph sustained winds (1-minute average)
✓ 2024 & 2025: First back-to-back Atlantic seasons with 180+ mph / <900mb hurricanes
October 28, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Updated #Melissa stats:
✓ 7th known Atlantic hurricane with sub-900 millibar intensity
✓ One of 10 known Atlantic hurricanes to reach at least 180 mph sustained winds (1-minute average)
✓ 2024 & 2025: First back-to-back Atlantic seasons with 180+ mph / <900mb hurricanes
✓ 7th known Atlantic hurricane with sub-900 millibar intensity
✓ One of 10 known Atlantic hurricanes to reach at least 180 mph sustained winds (1-minute average)
✓ 2024 & 2025: First back-to-back Atlantic seasons with 180+ mph / <900mb hurricanes
October 28 9:00am ET: #Melissa is now a 180 mph storm with a central pressure down to 896 millibars.
Only 5 other known Atlantic storms have had stronger wind speeds (Allen, Dorian, Wilma, Gilbert, Labor Day (1935)).
2024 & 2025: First back-to-back years with <900mb Atlantic hurricanes on record.
Only 5 other known Atlantic storms have had stronger wind speeds (Allen, Dorian, Wilma, Gilbert, Labor Day (1935)).
2024 & 2025: First back-to-back years with <900mb Atlantic hurricanes on record.
October 28, 2025 at 1:14 PM
October 28 9:00am ET: #Melissa is now a 180 mph storm with a central pressure down to 896 millibars.
Only 5 other known Atlantic storms have had stronger wind speeds (Allen, Dorian, Wilma, Gilbert, Labor Day (1935)).
2024 & 2025: First back-to-back years with <900mb Atlantic hurricanes on record.
Only 5 other known Atlantic storms have had stronger wind speeds (Allen, Dorian, Wilma, Gilbert, Labor Day (1935)).
2024 & 2025: First back-to-back years with <900mb Atlantic hurricanes on record.
October 28 8am ET: #Melissa making final approach towards Jamaica. The situation remains extremely serious for Jamaica. Parts of Hispaniola, Cuba, and the Bahamas are all facing impacts from this storm, too.
A short thread upcoming...
(1/n)
A short thread upcoming...
(1/n)
October 28, 2025 at 12:17 PM
October 28 8am ET: #Melissa making final approach towards Jamaica. The situation remains extremely serious for Jamaica. Parts of Hispaniola, Cuba, and the Bahamas are all facing impacts from this storm, too.
A short thread upcoming...
(1/n)
A short thread upcoming...
(1/n)
A 2017 paper reassessed the history of the Advanced Dvorak Technique (ADT) for global storms since 1979. As of 10:30pm ET on October 27, #Melissa is now *unofficially* only behind 2015's Hurricane Patricia (Eastern Pacific) for highest ADT in the past 46 years.
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
October 28, 2025 at 2:38 AM
A 2017 paper reassessed the history of the Advanced Dvorak Technique (ADT) for global storms since 1979. As of 10:30pm ET on October 27, #Melissa is now *unofficially* only behind 2015's Hurricane Patricia (Eastern Pacific) for highest ADT in the past 46 years.
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
What we're witnessing with #Melissa is ultra rare in the history of known hurricanes in the Atlantic. This level of sustained intensity and feasting on every joule of ocean heat content without any real disruption is incredible.
Not hyperbole: Jamaica is facing a generational catastrophic event.
Not hyperbole: Jamaica is facing a generational catastrophic event.
October 28, 2025 at 2:23 AM
What we're witnessing with #Melissa is ultra rare in the history of known hurricanes in the Atlantic. This level of sustained intensity and feasting on every joule of ocean heat content without any real disruption is incredible.
Not hyperbole: Jamaica is facing a generational catastrophic event.
Not hyperbole: Jamaica is facing a generational catastrophic event.
October 27 PM: Here is the updated Atlantic record book for most intense hurricanes in NOAA's official dataset going back to 1851. Melissa has rocketed up the list(s).
In the past 72 hours, Melissa has seen:
- Sustained winds increase by 100 knots (115 mph)
- Minimum pressure drop by 91 millibars
In the past 72 hours, Melissa has seen:
- Sustained winds increase by 100 knots (115 mph)
- Minimum pressure drop by 91 millibars
October 27, 2025 at 7:44 PM
October 27 PM: Here is the updated Atlantic record book for most intense hurricanes in NOAA's official dataset going back to 1851. Melissa has rocketed up the list(s).
In the past 72 hours, Melissa has seen:
- Sustained winds increase by 100 knots (115 mph)
- Minimum pressure drop by 91 millibars
In the past 72 hours, Melissa has seen:
- Sustained winds increase by 100 knots (115 mph)
- Minimum pressure drop by 91 millibars
October 27 11am ET: The current minimum central pressure of #Melissa is down to 908 millibars. This is the lowest MSLP in the Atlantic at such a late date in calendar year on record; surpassing Mitch (Oct 27, 1999) at 910 millibars.
October 27, 2025 at 3:38 PM
October 27 11am ET: The current minimum central pressure of #Melissa is down to 908 millibars. This is the lowest MSLP in the Atlantic at such a late date in calendar year on record; surpassing Mitch (Oct 27, 1999) at 910 millibars.
#Melissa: 2025's fourth Atlantic storm to meet the definition of rapid intensification (RI); strengthen by 30 knots (35 mph) in a 24-hr period.
Each 2025 Atlantic major hurricane has seen explosive >50 knot (60 mph) strengthening in 24 hrs.
Only 2025, 2020, 2008, and 2005 have achieved this feat.
Each 2025 Atlantic major hurricane has seen explosive >50 knot (60 mph) strengthening in 24 hrs.
Only 2025, 2020, 2008, and 2005 have achieved this feat.
October 26, 2025 at 9:41 PM
#Melissa: 2025's fourth Atlantic storm to meet the definition of rapid intensification (RI); strengthen by 30 knots (35 mph) in a 24-hr period.
Each 2025 Atlantic major hurricane has seen explosive >50 knot (60 mph) strengthening in 24 hrs.
Only 2025, 2020, 2008, and 2005 have achieved this feat.
Each 2025 Atlantic major hurricane has seen explosive >50 knot (60 mph) strengthening in 24 hrs.
Only 2025, 2020, 2008, and 2005 have achieved this feat.