HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — Insurers say it is too early to estimate total costs from last Thursday’s Hurricane Nicole which dumped seven inches of rain on the island during its onslaught and pushed Bermuda’s rainfall for the year so far to 17 inches above normal.

But they say the Category 3 storm, which hit Bermuda with 120 miles per hour winds, could lead to an increase in water damage claims compared to the smaller hurricanes, Fay and Gonzalo, which struck within of week of each other in 2014.

Nicole knocked out power to 27,000 customers of the Bermuda Electric Light Company — about 90 per cent — but by Monday morning only 294 were left in the dark.

Some properties lost parts of roofs, a number of small boats were wrecked and some low-lying areas were flooded, but Nicole caused no serious damage. Seven people suffered minor injuries.

“It could have been a lot worse. As a very guarded opinion, thus far I’m more positive now than I was prior to the storm,” said Michael Freisenbruch, president of insurance firm Freisenbruch-Meyer.

“While we are very fortunate that the damage was not worse, early total reserves for our firm are not insignificant. In terms of claims, it’s not as busy as Gonzalo so far, but again, it’s early days,” he added.

The firm had 85 claims by Saturday and it has brought in an overseas loss adjuster to assist.

The total 2014 bill for the island was estimated by analysts AM Best to be between US$200 million and $400 million.

Hurricane Fabian, which battered the island in 2003 and was also a Category 3, killed four people and caused estimated insured losses of $300 million.

Andy Pell, assistant vice-president of property and casualty at Argus, said there was “an absence of damage (from Nicole) you would expect from a Category 3 storm.”

He added: “Those who have suffered damage, it’s very sad and I wouldn’t want to downplay the suffering they are going through, but it’s a less severe damage than we would expect.”

Pell said that, so far, Argus had seen a slower stream of claims than for Fay and Gonzalo, which insurers treated as one storm as they were only a week apart.

Juanita Coley, claims manager at Colonial, said: “We have had very few claims come in so far. It’s very early still so we do expect more as people inspect their property and have time to contact us.

“But so far we have received only 22 claims. Thirteen are for personal property — buildings and contents.”