Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi Kill 2 and Injure 6
Dec 30 2024 // HOUSTON (AP) — A strong storm system threatened to whip up tornadoes in parts of the U.S. Southeast on Sunday, a day after severe weather claimed at least two lives as twisters touched down in Texas and...
AT&T, Verizon Say Networks Now Clear After Salt Typhoon Hack
Dec 30 2024 // AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. acknowledged that they’d been hit by the China-linked Salt Typhoon hacking operation but that their networks were now clear from the intrusion. The hackers attempted to...
The War on Wildfires Is Going High-Tech
Dec 27 2024 // Last December, a farmer was burning dry grapevines in his vineyard in Deir Mar Moussa, a hill town a dozen miles east of Beirut known for its 18th century monastery and stands of pine forest. Usually this would be...
Catastrophe-Bond Issuance Pushes Overall Market to Almost $50 Billion
Dec 26 2024 // Catastrophe-bond issuance rose to a record this year, increasing the overall market to almost $50 billion, as insurers transferred more risk from costly climate disasters to private investors. Sales of bonds earmarked for...
Farmers Still Reeling After Hurricane Helene Ravaged Crops Across the Southeast
Dec 23 2024 // LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Twisted equipment and snapped tree limbs still litter Chris Hopkins’ Georgia farm more than two months after Hurricane Helene made its deadly march across the South. An irrigation sprinkler system...
Surviving the ‘Silver Tsunami’: Closing the Talent, Skills Gap in Underwriting
Dec 20 2024 // With a “silver tsunami” of skilled underwriters eligible to retire in coming years and a shift in employee expectations, recruitment and retention is a critical focus for the insurance industry right now, said...
Severe Weather Brings Snow, Ice to Midwest and a Tornado in California
Dec 17 2024 // OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A tornado near a mall in central California swept up cars, uprooted trees and sent several people to the hospital. In San Francisco, authorities issued the first-ever tornado warning. Elsewhere,...
Oregon Lawmakers OK $218M in Emergency Wildfire Funding
Dec 17 2024 // Oregon lawmakers approved $218 million in emergency wildfire funds during special session that was convened to address unpaid bills stemming from the state’s 2024 record wildfire season. As wildfires still rage in...
International, Domestic Insurers Push Into Catastrophe-Hit US Property Markets
Dec 16 2024 // International and domestic insurers are pushing into the U.S. market for hard-to-protect homes, charging high premiums and enjoying strong profits after some U.S. firms pulled out. Rising losses from storms, hurricanes and...
Climate Change ‘Supercharged’ Philippines’ Typhoon Season, Study Finds
Dec 16 2024 // A warming climate fueled the blitz of six powerful storms that hit the Philippines within a matter of weeks this year, according to a new study. The conditions that enabled the unusual string of tropical cyclones late in...
Senators Say US Must Boost Security After Chinese Salt Typhoon Telecom Hacking
Dec 12 2024 // The United States must do more to address hacking threats after China’s alleged efforts known as Salt Typhoon to infiltrate American telecommunications companies and steal data about U.S. calls, senators said at a...
Catastrophe Bonds See Investor Influx After ‘Fantastic’ Run
Dec 10 2024 // After emerging from an unusually active hurricane season with market-beating returns, catastrophe bonds are rapidly adding investors. Despite the increase in extreme weather — 2024 marked the ninth straight season in...
Earthquakes Under a Volcano Near Alaska’s Largest City Raise Concerns
Dec 9 2024 // An increase in the number of earthquakes under a volcano near Alaska’s largest city this year has geologists paying attention. Mount Spurr, about 80 miles northwest of Anchorage, last erupted in 1992, spewing an ash...
Miss. Supreme Court Orders USAA to Pay $15M in Hurricane Katrina Bad-Faith Claim
Dec 9 2024 // When hurricanes hit coastal areas, property insurers often breathe a sigh of relief when much of the damage appears to be the result of storm surge and flooding – losses that aren’t covered by most...
Quake Prompted Tsunami Warning West Coast. Here’s What to Know About Tsunamis
Dec 9 2024 // The powerful earthquake that struck in Northern California on Thursday prompted a brief tsunami warning affecting about 5 million people along a stretch of the West Coast — from Northern California to Oregon — before...
UK Issues Red Warning as Storm Darragh Brings Hurricane-Strength Winds
Dec 6 2024 // Storm Darragh has triggered a red weather warning for the west coast of Wales and the Bristol Channel on Saturday, with hurricane-force winds forecast. Wind speeds are expected to reach as high as 90 miles (145 kilometers)...
Strong Northern California Quake Triggered Brief Tsunami Warning
Dec 5 2024 // A magnitude-7.0 earthquake off the coast of Northern California triggered a brief tsunami warning across a swath of the U.S. West Coast. The tsunami threat was declared over less than an hour later even as the area...
Drones Offer an Unparalleled View of the Biggest Wildfire Risks
Dec 5 2024 // Spotting dead and downed trees that can fuel explosive fires is like searching for a needle in a haystack for forestry crews. Not so for drones, which can survey thousands of acres in a single afternoon, easily accessing...
Californians Pay Billions for Power Companies’ Wildfire Prevention Efforts. Are They Cost-Effective?
Dec 5 2024 // Diane Moss lost her home in the Santa Monica Mountains after power lines ignited the apocalyptic Woolsey Fire in 2018. Since then, she’s pressed for a safer electric grid in California. “It’s so easy to...
After Tens of Billions in Insured Losses, Record-Breaking Hurricane Season Ends
Nov 27 2024 // The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ends Nov. 30 after 18 named storms including the earliest Category 5 storm on record, and possibly one of the costliest hurricanes to the insurance industry. Of the 18 named storms, 11...
