They destroy homes and vehicles, displace families and interrupt business. The question is, who pays?

The 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the Mid-Atlantic states on Aug. 23 was a vivid reminder that disasters can strike without warning. Having the right insurance is important to your personal finances. If an event similar to the historic San Francisco earthquake of 1906 were to strike today, insured losses would top $100 billion, estimates AIR Worldwide, a risk-modeling firm. Back then, however, little property was insured.

But Americans seem to have learned their lesson. Our ranking here of the ten costliest catastrophes to hit the U.S. based on insured losses is dominated entirely by events of the past two decades. Even a recent catastrophe, such as 1992’s Hurricane Andrew, would be significantly more expensive if it occurred now. Most catastrophes on the list resulted from natural disasters, though one unnatural disaster also earned a spot.

With each event, you'll find our guidance on how to best protect yourself against similar losses. Data was provided by ISO's Property Claims Services unit, which helps assess risk for the insurance industry.