Four more Bermuda-based insurers ? ACE Limited, Endurance Specialty, Partner Re and Renaissance Re ? expect to see millions of dollars in claims from damage done in the US by Hurricane Charley earlier this month.

The four made announcements on Friday after Charley swept across Florida and into the Carolinas. The category four storm is estimated to be the second costliest storm to ever hit the US, according to a statement from the New York-based Insurance Information Institute (III).

The III predicted insurers are likely to pay out $7.4 billion for damages from the storm.

Only Hurricane Andrew, which was rated as the strongest hurricane at category five, cost more, causing $15.5 billion in insured losses in 1992 ? more than $20 billion in today?s dollars ? according to III chief economist Dr. Robert Hartwig.

Earlier last week XL Capital said it expected to be hit with net claims of about $125 million as a result of the hurricane. It said the impact would be lower earnings in the third quarter, but that the company?s overall financial state would not be affected.

On Friday, the Bermuda-based insurer that many had expected would see a significant hit from Charley ? Renaissance Re ? reported that initial loss reports indicated that Hurricane Charley will negatively impact the company?s third quarter earnings by an amount ranging from $100 to $140 million.

A company statement said the hurricane affected various lines of business, including catastrophe reinsurance written both by Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. and by the DaVinci Reinsurance Ltd. joint venture, as well as primary insurance and quota share reinsurance written in the company?s individual risk segment.

RenRe pointed out that, compared to other potential catastrophic events, Florida hurricanes of the magnitude of Hurricane Charley cause disproportionately higher losses for the company, as a percentage of total industry losses. RenRe said this was because of its decision to pursue a relatively large share of the Florida market, as well as from the structure of the company?s ceded reinsurance, which generally responds to higher industry losses.

Partner Re said its exposure to Hurricane Charley was expected to be between $35 and $45 million.

President and CEO Patrick Thiele said: ?Our estimate is based on our proprietary model?s estimate of industry insured losses of approximately $6.5 to $8 billion, as well as a detailed treaty by treaty analysis of both our Bermuda and US operations.

?The level of our estimated claims is consistent with the characteristics of our diversified book of business, as well as with the characteristics of the event itself, which followed a narrow path over Cuba, through Florida, and eventually into the Carolinas,? he said.

Partner Re said it continues to expect that, barring any unusually large loss events, it will exceed its stated plan for 2004 of a minimum of $6.90 in operating earnings per share, and an operating return on equity of at least 17 percent.

RenRe and Partner Re were two of a wave of companies to set up in Bermuda in 1993 after a void in property catastrophe reinsurance capacity following Hurricane Andrew.

Meanwhile, ACE said on Friday that its preliminary estimates indicated that total net losses will be approximately $100 million before taxes, which it said was in line with previously stated guidance for annual catastrophe-related losses.

Endurance, which is one of a dozen companies to form on the Island after a void in capacity following the September 11 terrorist attacks, reported that as a result of potential claims from Hurricane Charley, third quarter earnings after taxes would be negatively impacted by an estimated amount ranging between $43 and $48 million.

Endurance Chairman and CEO Kenneth LeStrange said in the company?s statement that its estimates were derived from ?various sources of information including our proprietary modelling technology, standard industry models, and assessments of exposure obtained from our clients at the contract level?.

Mr. LeStrange said: ?Barring any additional catastrophic or unforeseen events, the company expects to meet or exceed its return on equity goal of 15.5 percent - 17.5 percent during 2004.?

Endurance was the first of the so-called ?Class of 2001? companies to report on potential claims from Charley. A ratings agency report last week predicted that this hurricane would be the greatest test these re/insurers had yet faced since setting up some three years ago.