The property insurance industry will post a loss.

Hit hard by record payouts for hurricane damage in 1985, the nation’s property insurance industry will report a $5.5-billion operating loss for the year--its highest loss ever, a trade group predicted. This follows a 1984 operating loss of $3.8 billion, which was also a record, the Insurance Information Institute said. The institute said the industry had an overall underwriting loss of $25.2 billion, including a record $2.8-billion loss incurred from catastrophes, mainly hurricanes, in 1985. This was offset by investment income of $19.7 billion.