Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
3 Ways for Insurers to Spread Catastrophe Risk Literacy to Homeowners, Minimal Lift Required
Aug 8 2025 // This post is part of a series sponsored by Cotality. Homeownership has long been synonymous with the American Dream. And it’s no wonder: owning property allows you to customize where you live, build stability, and,...
Second California Wildfire Prompts Evacuations, Threatens Thousands of Structures
Aug 8 2025 // A brush fire in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles has forced thousands of evacuations, becoming one of two ongoing blazes of concern in California. The Canyon fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, which started...
NC Residents Can Now Seek State Aid After Tropical Storm Chantal
Aug 8 2025 // RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Individuals in central North Carolina counties whose homes and belongings were damaged by massive rains last month from Tropical Storm Chantal can now seek state-funded financial grants for temporary...
Porsches Destroyed by LA Wildfires Get New Life as Stained Glass Art
Aug 8 2025 // Ben Tuna is good at transforming rusted-out, patina-eaten wrecks into art. For the past few months, in a nondescript stucco warehouse on a sleepy street in Glendale, California, he has used stained-glass salvaged from...
California Wildfire Has Burned 96K Acres and Now Threatens 1,500 Structures
Aug 7 2025 // A wildfire burning in two counties, now the biggest fire in California this year, is threatening more than 1,500 structures and has burned more than 96,000 acres. The Gifford Fire burning in San Luis Obispo and Santa...
Deadly Wildfires Ravage Southwest France as Heat Wave Builds
Aug 6 2025 // France’s biggest wildfire in about two decades ravaged vineyards and farms in southern France, leaving one person dead and forcing residents to flee. About 2,100 firefighters, assisted by aircraft, are working to...
California’s Largest Wildfire of 2025 Threatens 870 Structures
Aug 6 2025 // A wildfire in California that has become the biggest fire in the state this year, prompting evacuation orders and threatening hundreds of structures, has grown to 83,933 acres. The fire, which started on Aug. 2 and covers...
California Wildfire Burns 72,460 Acres, Threatens Hundreds of Structures
Aug 5 2025 // A wildfire in California that covers two counties, and prompted evacuation orders and threatened hundreds of structures, has grown to 72,460 acres. The fire is threatening more than 870 structures, according to CalFire. At...
California Wildfire Burns 65,000 Acres in Los Padres Forest, Prompts Evacuations
Aug 4 2025 // A wildfire in California has prompted evacuation orders and threatened hundreds of structures. The wildfire has grown to 65,062 acres, and was only 3% contained. Firefighters have been battling the Gifford fire in Santa...
No Major Impact Reported as Small Earthquake Shakes New Jersey-New York Area
Aug 4 2025 // A small earthquake rattled the New York metropolitan area Saturday night. The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor had a magnitude of 3.0. It hit in the New Jersey suburb of Hasbrouck Heights, less than 8 miles (13...
The New Approach to Hurricane-Strong Homes? Concrete Walls, Wind-Resistant Roofs, But Affordable and Stylish
Aug 4 2025 // If wind mitigation and stronger homes are the paths to reducing insurance claims and bringing down premiums in hurricane-prone areas as a growing number of industry experts believe, then homeowners, builders and insurers...
Florida Meteorologist Predicts Where the Next Hurricane Will Hit–For a Price
Aug 4 2025 // Colorado State University’s hurricane research team, perhaps the best-known and most-often quoted forecasting service, in early July revised its prediction for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season downward slightly...
KCC Completes Review of California Wildfire Model
Aug 1 2025 // The California Department of Insurance completed a review of the KCC US Wildfire Reference Model Version 3.0, making it the state’s second wildfire catastrophe model. The new model for use by insurers in assessing...
Newsom Seeks $18B for Utilities’ Wildfire Fund as California Faces Future Blazes
Jul 31 2025 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom is circulating a legislative proposal to shore up a state fund for utilities that’s at risk of being depleted following the deadly wildfires that struck Los Angeles County in January. The...
Suspect in Michigan Walmart Stabbings Charged With Rarely Used Terrorism Count
Jul 31 2025 // A Michigan prosecutor filed a terrorism charge this wek against a man accused of stabbing 11 people at a Walmart store. The charge has been rarely used in the state’s courts since it was adopted more than 20 years...
Huge Quake Rocks Russia’s Far East, Triggering Tsunami Warnings Around Pacific
Jul 30 2025 // A very powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka coast on Wednesday triggered tsunami warnings as far away as French Polynesia and Chile, and was followed by an eruption of the most active...
Update: Shanghai Evacuates 280,000 Residents as Tropical Storm Arrives
Jul 30 2025 // Shanghai has evacuated around 280,000 people and canceled flights as a tropical storm crossed China’s financial hub, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall that threatens flash flooding. Storm Co-may — known...
Volunteers Repair Appalachian Trail Damage Almost a Year After Hurricane Helene
Jul 29 2025 // UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (AP) — In a rugged patch of the Appalachian Trail in eastern Tennessee, volunteers size up a massive, gnarled tree lying on its side. Its tangled web of roots and dark brown soil, known as a root...
Panel Passes Bill to Curb Vacation Rentals, Boost Housing Supply After Lahaina Wildfire
Jul 29 2025 // Lawmakers on Maui passed legislation aimed at eliminating a large percentage of the Hawaiian island’s vacation rentals to address a housing shortage exacerbated by the wildfire that destroyed most of Lahaina two...
Europe Inc Swerves Trump Trade War ‘Hurricane’ but Laments Higher Tariffs
Jul 28 2025 // European companies were left wondering on Monday whether to cheer a hard-won U.S. trade deal or lament a still sharp jump in tariffs versus those in place before President Donald Trump’s second term. A day earlier,...
