Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Storm System Spawns Tornado in Florida, Several Homes Damaged
Feb 16 2021 // A tornado in Florida’s Tampa Bay region peeled off rooftops, snapped trees and roused residents from bed early Sunday morning. The National Weather Service said there were no serious injuries reported from the...
Most Oregonians Applying for Disaster Aid After 2020 Wildfires Denied
Feb 16 2021 // More than 24,000 Oregonians applied for federal disaster assistance after the catastrophic 2020 wildfires and about 57% of them were denied. Jefferson Public Radio reports that nearly 14,000 Oregonians have been denied...
FEMA: Aid Deadline for Residential Losses from Hurricane Zeta — March 15
Feb 12 2021 // Residents in six Louisiana parishes have until mid-March to apply for Hurricane Zeta, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says. The deadline for parishes and other public entities to apply for Zeta aid has passed. The...
Zurich 2020 Profit Drop of 8% Reflects Pandemic, Catastrophe Claims
Feb 12 2021 // Zurich Insurance’s new capital target disappointed market expectations on Thursday, even as claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic and higher losses from natural catastrophes bit less than expected into full-year...
A Snowstorm that Cost Nearly $2.2B and Other January Natural Catastrophes: Aon
Feb 11 2021 // A snowstorm in Spain, called “Filomena,” caused business interruption and property losses estimated at nearly €1.8 billion ($2.2 billion), according to Aon’s monthly Global Catastrophe Recap report,...
California Surplus Lines Weathered Pandemic, Wildfires, Civil Unrest
Feb 9 2021 // In a year marred by a pandemic, massive Western U.S. wildfires, civil unrest, and a contentious election, California’s surplus lines market “didn’t miss a beat.” That was the message from Ben McKay,...
P/C Insurers’ Net Income for 9 Months Fell 27% on Effects of Catastrophes
Feb 9 2021 // In the first nine months of 2020, net income for the U.S. property/casualty insurance industry dropped 27.5% to $35.1 billion and net underwriting gains declined to $0.3 billion, from $5.4 billion a year earlier as the...
Damage From Wildfire Smoke Extends to Infrastructure, Businesses, Other Communities
Feb 8 2021 // The damage caused by wildfires can be devastating, gutting structures and driving out people who live and work nearby. And researchers say the smoke from the annually recurring blazes also delivers economic damage to areas...
Arizona Facing Above-Normal Wildfire Threats
Feb 8 2021 // Drought remains in place across Arizona with a likelihood of warm and dry conditions in coming months even after a recent storm dropped heavy snow across much of the state’s high country, a 2021 wildfire season...
California Largest Utilities Will Spend Billions to Lower Wildfire Risk
Feb 8 2021 // California’s largest utilities said that they will spend about $13 billion to reduce the risk of wildfires following the worst fire season in modern state history and a string of blazes that were blamed on their...
Biden Approves Disaster Declaration for Maryland Related to Tropical Storm
Feb 8 2021 // President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for Maryland and ordered federal assistance for recovery effort in areas affected by Tropical Storm Isaias in August. Federal funding will be available to state and local...
2020 Hurricane Insurance Claims Up to $7.7B in Louisiana
Feb 8 2021 // Through the end of 2020 property/casualty insurers paid out or reserved $7.7 billion On claims of all types resulting from Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta in Louisiana, the state insurance department reported. The...
Global Catastrophe Economic Losses Largely Unaddressed by Insurance
Feb 8 2021 // There were 416 natural catastrophe events globally in 2020 that resulted in economic losses of $268 billion – 8% more than the average annual losses for this century, according to insurance broker Aon’s latest...
Northern Oklahoma Rattled by Small Earthquakes
Feb 7 2021 // A series of small earthquakes believed by seismologists to be caused by the underground injection of wastewater from oil and gas production continued to rattle northern Oklahoma on Feb. 6. Four quakes occurred Saturday...
Australian Insurers Declare Catastrophe for Perth Hills Bushfires
Feb 5 2021 // The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared a catastrophe for the Perth Hills bushfires which continue to burn north-east of Perth. Insurers have received more than 270 claims and estimated loss value is over...
Property Catastrophe Bond Placement Reaches Record in 2020 and Q4: Aon
Feb 4 2021 // Approximately $11 billion of property catastrophe bond limit was placed in 2020, the highest on record, according to a new Aon report that projects the growth momentum will continue in 2021. While the year was a record for...
National Fire Protection Association, State Farm Funding Wildfire Preparedness
Feb 4 2021 // The National Fire Protection Association and State Farm have kicked off a funding awards application period for the eighth national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 1, which helps communities prepare...
Drought, Wildfire Threat Lead to Disaster Declaration in Texas
Feb 3 2021 // Saying exceptional drought conditions pose a wildfire threat in a large swath of West and Southwest Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for counties in those areas of the state. Abbott said drought...
Croatian Residents Rush to Buy Earthquake Cover After Destructive Quakes in 2020
Feb 3 2021 // Croatian insurers are reaping a windfall as residents rush to sign up for protection after two destructive earthquakes last year left them to rebuild without private coverage, the head of the country’s industry...
Colonial Claims Acquires Premier Adjusting and Catastrophe Services of Florida
Feb 3 2021 // Colonial Claims LLC, a nationwide independent insurance claims service companies, has acquired Tampa area business Premier Adjusting and Catastrophe Services, Inc., a first and third-party claims handler for residential...
