Tornadoes, floods, earthquakes overseas and a busier-than-usual hurricane season have U.S. insurance companies bracing for record losses in 2011, Reuters reported.

Insurers could experience as much as $10 billion in weather-related losses in the United States in 2011, far above the average of $2 billion to $4 billion, according to EQECAT Inc., which provides disaster and risk models to insurance companies.

Insurers are also reeling from disasters overseas, including earthquakes across the Pacific Rim. Analysts also expect an above-average Atlantic Ocean hurricane season.

Globally – including the major earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan – U.S. and overseas insurers could post up to $55 billion in losses, EQECAT projects. The Standard & Poor’s insurance index has been flat since the beginning of the year.

Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc. lost $1.07 billion from the Japan earthquake. Allstate Corp. last week projected that April storms would cost $1.4 billion and result in more than 100,000 insurance claims.

Locally, EMC Insurance Group Inc. earlier this month reported an operating loss in the first quarter, and the company cited catastrophic events during the quarter as contributing to the loss.