Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Louisiana Issues Hurricane Zeta Data Call
Nov 19 2020 // Louisiana is seeking information from property/casualty insurers in the state about the impact of Hurricane Zeta. This latest data call from the Louisiana Department of Insurance is the third hurricane-related data call...
Several Northern California Agencies Suing PG&E Over 2019 Wildfire
Nov 19 2020 // Sonoma County and several Northern California agencies sued Pacific Gas & Electric Co. on Tuesday over damage caused by a wildfire that burned a large swath of land last year and caused nearly 100,000 people to...
Tornado in Arkansas on Sunday Injured 4 People, Destroyed Homes
Nov 17 2020 // A tornado in northeast Arkansas on Nov. 15 left four people injured and destroyed buildings and mobile homes, authorities said. The severe weather Sunday was near Romance, an unincorporated community about 23 miles (37...
Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake Confirmed in Remote Corner of Nevada
Nov 17 2020 // A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck a remote corner of Nevada early Friday, shaking the desert and a nearby town, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The quake struck at 1:13 a.m. and was centered about 21 miles southeast...
Most Powerful Atlantic Hurricane of 2020 Hits Central America
Nov 17 2020 // Hurricane Iota slammed into Central America late Monday with ferocious winds and rain, threatening to cripple a region already reeling from a deadly storm two weeks ago. Iota, the most powerful Atlantic hurricane in a...
Parts of Florida, Carolinas Take Beating from Tropical Storm Eta
Nov 16 2020 // After hanging over Florida for several days, the former Tropical Storm Eta became a post-tropical cyclone early Friday, racing off the Southeast Atlantic coast and bringing heavy rains and gusty winds to the Carolinas...
3 Typhoons in 3 Weeks Kill 100-Plus People in Philippines, Causing Damages of $518.5M
Nov 16 2020 // Three strong typhoons over the past three weeks have killed more than 100 people in the Philippines and damaged farms and infrastructure worth almost 25 billion pesos ($518.5 million), based on reports from its disaster...
Update: Hurricane Iota Threatens Honduras, Nicaragua, Just Days After Storm Eta
Nov 16 2020 // Hurricane Iota is set to slam into Central America Monday as the Atlantic’s strongest storm of the year, bringing catastrophic winds and torrential rain to a region still reeling from a storm two weeks ago. It will...
Zeta’s Total Onshore U.S. Insured Losses Could Rise to $5B: RMS
Nov 16 2020 // Catastrophe risk modeler RMS has estimated that insured losses from Hurricane Zeta could rise to as high as $5 billion in the U.S. That figure is slightly higher than estimates announced earlier by catastrophe modelers AIR...
California’s Wine Country Adapting to Annual Wildfire Threat
Nov 13 2020 // Harvest season in Northern California’s wine country is what dream weddings are made of: ripe grapevines and golden sunsets provide ceremonies an alluring backdrop that every year draws millions of visitors. But...
Hurricanes Staying Stronger Longer After Landfall Than in Past
Nov 13 2020 // Hurricanes are keeping their staying power longer once they make landfall, spreading more inland destruction, according to a new study. Warmer ocean waters from climate change are likely making hurricanes lose power more...
EQ One Adds Earthquake Capacity, Expands Limits through Munich Re
Nov 13 2020 // EQ One, a West Coast earthquake insurance underwriter, has added additional capacity to its earthquake offering through Munich Re Specialty Insurance. This increased capacity will allow EQ One team to write larger...
Texas Seeks Comments on Windstorm Insurer Rules, Classification for Oil, Gas
Nov 12 2020 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) seeks comments on an informal draft to improve the structure of Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) rules. These updates do not include revisions to the rule text. Visit the...
Erratic Tropical Storm Eta Makes Landfall on Florida’s West Coast
Nov 12 2020 // Tropical Storm Eta made landfall on Florida’s west coast Thursday, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds to northern parts of the peninsula. Eta came ashore near Cedar Key at 4 a.m. New York time, with maximum...
Small Tornado Confirmed in Oregon, Buildings Damaged
Nov 12 2020 // The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down north of Portland in St. Helens, Ore. The weather service confirmed the tornado at about 2 p.m. Tuesday. It touched down around 12:20 p.m., KPTV...
Palomar Buys Renewal Rights to Hawaii Residential Hurricane Business from GeoVera
Nov 10 2020 // Palomar Specialty Insurance Co. has agreed to acquire the renewal rights to GeoVera’s Holding’s Hawaii residential hurricane policies. The transaction is expected to further deepen Palomar’s presence in...
Tropical Storm Eta’s Rains Threaten Floods for South Florida, Cuba, Bahamas
Nov 10 2020 // Nov 10, 2020, 4:33 AM— After coming ashore in the Florida Keys overnight, Tropical Storm Eta is now hovering just north of the Yucatan Channel and is set to re-strengthen as it meanders over the south-eastern Gulf of...
Flood Waters Keep Rising in South Florida from Tropical Storm Eta
Nov 10 2020 // Beaches and coronavirus testing sites were closed, public transportation shut down and some evacuations in place early Monday after Tropical Storm Eta made landfall in the Florida Keys, bringing heavy rains to already...
Earthquake Felt Across Southern New England
Nov 9 2020 // An earthquake struck southern New England on Sunday morning but there were no reports of serious damage. The earthquake centered a few miles off the coast of New Bedford in Buzzards Bay struck just after 9 a.m., according...
Update: Tropical Storm Eta Strikes Florida Keys, Could Still Strengthen
Nov 8 2020 // Updated on Nov 9, 2020, 9:36 AM – After coming ashore in the Florida Keys overnight, Tropical Storm Eta will wander the eastern Gulf of Mexico, dumping heavy rain on the Sunshine State and raking it with gusty...
