Conclusion

The loss inspection revealed that the tsunami had caused surprisingly little structural damage to buildings. The main burden of loss was due to non-structural damage and prolonged business interruptions.

The loss potential of business interruptions emerged very clearly: most owners of smaller businesses, who had no insurance, were able to patch up their premises, restock with new goods, and reopen relatively soon afterwards.

Were such damage to occur in a region with higher insurance penetration, there would certainly be more extensive repairs and a greater number of claims to be settled.