Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Missouri DCI Requests Update of Catastrophe Response Contacts
Jan 29 2026 // The Missouri Department of Commerce & Insurance (DCI) sent a bulletin to insurers this week requesting they provide current catastrophe/disaster coordination contact information. The bulletin, sent on Jan. 27, says...
Trump Putting Zeldin in Charge of Permits to Rebuild After LA Wildfires
Jan 29 2026 // President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will put Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin in charge of helping homeowners get permits to rebuild after the California wildfires last January. Related:...
Trump Orders Federal Takeover of LA Wildfire Rebuilding Efforts
Jan 27 2026 // President Donald Trump signed an executive order that allows the federal government to preempt state and local regulations in the recovery efforts of last year’s Los Angeles wildfires, blaming the destruction and its...
FEMA Extends Housing Aid for Maui Wildfire Survivors Until 2027
Jan 26 2026 // U.S. officials have granted a request to extend housing assistance for survivors of catastrophic 2023 wildfires, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said. Nearly 1,000 households displaced by fire were anxiously awaiting word on...
Update: House Committee Advances Bill to Extend Federal Terrorism Backstop
Jan 22 2026 // Looking to ensure the longevity of a worthwhile federal program, the insurance industry has continued to lobby in favor of the TRIA Program Reauthorization Act of 2026. The legislation (HR 7128)—sponsored by Mike Flood,...
Forecasters Warn of ‘Potentially Catastrophic’ Storm From Texas to the Carolinas
Jan 22 2026 // With many Americans still recovering from multiple blasts of snow and unrelenting freezing temperatures in the nation’s northern tier, a new storm is set to emerge this weekend that could coat roads, trees and power...
Travelers Q4 Net Income Up 20% on Underwriting, Lower Catastrophe Losses
Jan 21 2026 // Fourth quarter 2025 net income at The Travelers Cos. increased about 20% compared with the same period a year ago, to about $2.5 billion. Underwriting, lower catastrophe losses, and more favorable prior year reserve...
Chile Declares Catastrophe as Deadly Fires Force Evacuations
Jan 19 2026 // Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in two southern regions of the country where raging wildfires have killed at least 15 people and forced tens of thousands to evacuate. Ante los graves...
Ex-PIMCO Executive Scores Milestone on Launch of Catastrophe Bond ETF
Jan 16 2026 // An exchange-traded fund tied to bets on natural disasters has started trading in London, after becoming the first such ETF to attract a lead market maker.The KRC Cat Bond UCITS ETF was launched with the goal of drawing...
The Return Period for An LA Wildfire-Scale Event May Be Shorter Than You Think
Jan 15 2026 // There has been no shortage of analyses and reporting released for the one-year anniversary of the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, which destroyed more than 16,000 properties and have generated more than $22 billion in...
Wildfires, Storms Fuel 2025 Insured Losses of $108 Billion: Munich Re Report
Jan 13 2026 // Global insured losses from natural disasters fell to $108 billion last year, Munich Re said in a report on Tuesday. That compared with an inflation-adjusted $147 billion in 2024, the German reinsurer said, as the U.S....
One Dead in Australian Wildfires That May Burn for Weeks to Come
Jan 12 2026 // One person has died in wildfires in the Australian state of Victoria that have burned out an area slightly larger than Rhode Island. A body was found about 100 meters from a vehicle near the fire-affected town of Gobur,...
Surge of Supercharged Hurricanes Prompt Call for Cat 6 Classification
Jan 9 2026 // Scientists warn that warming sea surface temperatures are fueling a surge of extreme, off-the-charts storms, prompting a new hurricane category. Warm, deep ocean hot spots are leading to stronger and more dangerous...
Less Than a Dozen Homes Have Been Rebuilt a Year After LA Wildfires
Jan 9 2026 // On the first anniversary of the most destructive wildfires in the L.A. area, the scant home construction projects stand out among the still mostly flattened landscapes. Fewer than a dozen homes have been rebuilt in Los...
Australian State Faces Catastrophic Fire Risk From Heat Wave
Jan 8 2026 // Australia is bracing for catastrophic fire risk in parts of Victoria on Friday as the country swelters through its worst heat wave since the Black Summer bushfires in the summer of 2019 and 2020. Temperatures rose above...
Germania Insurance Places First Cat Bond Through Handshake Re
Jan 7 2026 // Germania Insurance announced the placement of its first catastrophe bond, issued through Handshake ReLtd., as part of the company’s broader reinsurance and capital management strategy. The transaction became...
Their Homes Survived The LA Wildfires; A Year Later They Fear Living in Them
Jan 7 2026 // “DANGER: Lead Work Area” reads a sign on a front door of an Altadena home. “May damage fertility or the unborn child. Causes damage to the central nervous system.” Block after block there are...
JPMorgan, Citi Extending Mortgage Relief for LA Wildfire Victims
Jan 6 2026 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom said a group of major banks have agreed to extend mortgage relief for Los Angeles wildfire victims, as the area struggles to rebuild one year after the devastating blazes. Wells Fargo &...
Houston Homeowners Win Hurricane Harvey Appeal Against Feds
Jan 6 2026 // A federal appeals court has ruled that the government is liable for damage to homes that flooded upstream of the Addicks and Barker dams after Hurricane Harvey unleashed more than 50 inches of rainfall on the Houston...
Morningstar: A Year Later, LA Wildfires Were ‘Significant Stress Event’ for Insurance
Jan 6 2026 // In a report one year on from the Los Angeles area wildfires in 2025, which started on Jan. 7, Morningstar DBS Research issued a perspective that called the fires “a significant stress event” for...
