\chapter{Impact Models} \label{chap:impactmodels} \SweaveOpts{keep.source=TRUE, pdf=FALSE, prefix.string=Chap13, grdevice=tikz.Swd} <>= options(digits=3, show.signif.stars=FALSE, width=53) rm(list=ls()) require(tikzDevice) source("../SweaveTikZ.R") @ %data files used: source("Losses.txt"); load("best.use.RData"); load("ncdataframe.RData") %required packages: maps, ggplot2, oce, sp, quantreg %source code: source("LossGui.R"); source("plot.windrose2.R"); source("getmax.R"); load("SavedObjects.R") \begin{quote} ``The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.'' \end{quote} \indent---Edwin Schlossberg\\ In this chapter we show broader applications of our models and methods. We focus on impact models. Hurricanes are capable of generating large financial losses. We begin with a model that estimates extreme losses conditional on climate covariates. We then describe a method for quantifying the relative change in potential losses over several decades. \section{Extreme Losses} Financial losses are directly related to fluctuations in hurricane climate. Environmental factors influence the frequency and intensity of hurricanes at the coast (see Chapter~\ref{chap:frequencymodels} and \ref{chap:intensitymodels}). Thus it is not surprising that these same environmental signals appear in estimates of total losses. Economic damage is the loss associated with a hurricane's direct impact.\footnote{Direct impact losses do not include losses from business interruption or other macroeconomic effects including demand surge and mitigation.} A normalization procedure adjusts the loss estimate to what it would be if the hurricane struck in a recent year by accounting for inflation and changes in wealth and population, plus a factor to account for changes in the number of housing units exceeding population growth. The method produces hurricane loss estimates that can be compared over time \citep{PielkeEtAl2008}. \subsection{Exploratory analysis} You focus on losses exceeding one billion (\$ U.S.) that have been adjusted to 2005. The loss data are available in {\it Losses.txt} in JAGS format (see Chapter~\ref{chap:spatialmodels}). Input the data by typing <>= source("Losses.txt") @ The log-transformed loss amounts are in \verb@y@. The annual number of loss events are in \verb@L@. The data cover the period 1900--2007. More details about these data are given in \cite{JaggerEtAl2011}. You begin by plotting a time series of the number of losses and a histogram of total loss per event. <