Washington State’s bad weather — snow, freezing temperatures, followed by heavy rain and flooding — will rank among the most damaging ever, according to Seattle-based PEMCO Insurance.

PEMCO’s claim trends show the year-end snowstorms and rapid snowmelt will end up generating a projected 1,305 claims, totaling around $7 million in losses. If those figures hold, then the spate of bad weather would rank fifth all-time on the company’s storm index, which tracks PEMCO’s weather-related losses dating to 1982.

PEMCO noted that snowstorms in the area are common and account for many weather-related claims. It cited the Dec. 18, 1990, Seattle snowstorm that caused $7.7 million in PEMCO claim losses, which means it ranks fourth on the company’s storm index. A 10-day Puget Sound snowstorm in Feb. 1985 caused $6.8 million in losses, ranking it sixth on the list.

“These recent storm claims were a bit tough to gauge, because they actually resulted from a series of events, not one isolated storm,” said Jon Osterberg, PEMCO spokesperson. “We’ll likely see more claims trickle in later, and they’ll be expensive — things like stressed roofs or broken pipes that won’t be discovered until outdoor faucets are used this spring.”

PEMCO is the largest property and casualty insurer headquartered in Washington and insures only Washington residents.