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That's what insurance experts are calling Minnesota when it comes to catastrophic insurance losses from extreme weather events the past several years.

In 2013, Minnesota lead the nation in catastrophic losses for the first three quarters according to 

Insurance Federation of Minnesota President Bob Johnson

. Johnson says Minnesota may end up in the number two spot once the final fourth quarter tally comes in. Widespread damage from the 

 outbreak  may vault Illinois into the top spot for 2013.

A big chunk of Minnesota's losses in 2013 were generated by a single storm. The 

 has generated $800 million in claims in Minnesota and still counting, according to Johnson.

The Aug. 5-7 severe wind and hail outbreak was centered on Minnesota, and is listed as one of eight "billion dollar weather disasters" in the United States in 2013, according to Weather Underground's 

 also boosted Minnesota's cat losses last year.

The new numbers from 2013 vault Minnesota  into the top three states in the nation for catastrophic losses in three of the past seven years.

In 2007, Minnesota ranked No. 2 with $747 million in catastrophic losses.

In 2008 Minnesota rolled in at No. 3 with $1.5 

The fact that landlocked Minnesota has piled up higher losses than many of the "hurricane states" has stunned some in the insurance industry. The balance sheets of many insurers with large risk exposure in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest have taken a hit.

I listened as Johnson described a potential "'Minnesota Meltdown"

 in homeowners insurance in the near future at 

Minnesota's first climate adaptation workshop

The spike in catastrophic losses in the past decade has pushed Minnesota homeowner rates a wallet denting 

 between 1997 and 2010 according to Johnson. He described Minnesota’s changing insurance landscape as "growingly unstable" and Minnesota’s catastrophic loss levels as "unsustainable."

Here's the email Bob shared with me this week regarding the uptick in Minnesota's catastrophic losses in 2013.

Overall, 2013 was a quiet hurricane season and tornado year in the United States. Minnesota's extreme weather in 2013 was enough to boost us near the top of the nation for catastrophic losses. We are proud to be number one in in many things in Minnesota, but extreme weather damage claims are not on that list.

The bigger and still unanswered question may be this: Is our changing climate placing Minnesota at higher risk for damaging extreme weather than other parts of the nation?

According to the numbers and analysis by people like Bob Johnson, the answer may be yes.

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We are proud to be number one in in many things in Minnesota, but extreme weather damage claims are not on that list.

Climate Cast: Minnesota near #1 in extreme weather ‘catastrophic losses’ in 2013

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