Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
UPDATE: Tropical Storm Zeta Makes Landfall in Mexico, Threatens U.S. Gulf Coast
Oct 27 2020 // Zeta will move into the Gulf of Mexico in the next few hours after making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula, then regain strength as it heads north toward Louisiana and likely comes ashore Wednesday. Now a tropical storm...
Some Alaskans Beyond Danger Received Tsunami Warning
Oct 26 2020 // Some Alaska residents received tsunami warnings on their cellphones following an earthquake earlier this week, including customers in the Anchorage area who were outside the potential danger zone. There was no concern over...
BP Evacuates Staff from 4 Gulf of Mexico Oil Platforms as Tropical Storm Zeta Intensifies
Oct 26 2020 // BP on Sunday said it has begun to evacuate four offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil platforms and secure facilities as Tropical Storm Zeta sprang up in the Caribbean Sea. The 27th named storm of this year’s Atlantic...
Scientists Identify Nuclear Plants Facing Highest Risks From Earthquakes
Oct 26 2020 // The U.S. nuclear power reactors facing the highest risks of a meltdown from earthquakes are not in tremor-prone California, but states including South Carolina and Missouri, an analysis of government data published on...
Swiss Re Capital Markets Places $775M Cat Bond for California Earthquake Authority
Oct 23 2020 // Swiss Re Capital Markets has successfully structured and placed the issuance of USD $775 million of insurance-linked securities by Ursa Re II Ltd. to be used for the protection of the California Earthquake Authority. CEA...
Everest Re Estimates Third Quarter 2020 Catastrophe Losses of $300 Million
Oct 23 2020 // Everest Re Group Ltd. is estimating pre-tax net catastrophe losses of $300 million for the third quarter 2020. The estimate includes the impact of Hurricanes Laura, Isaias and Sally, wildfires in California and Oregon, and...
Hurricane Epsilon Bypasses Bermuda and Heads into North Atlantic
Oct 23 2020 // Bermuda has been spared the worst of Hurricane Epsilon, which passed 200 miles to the east of the island and is heading , according to a report from Weather Underground. However, Epsilon’s large size, at times,...
Washington Developing Wildfire Smoke Worker-Safety Rules
Oct 23 2020 // The Washington Department of Labor & Industries is developing new workplace safety and health rules regarding wildfire smoke. The L&I announced the move this week in response to an increasing number of acres burned...
Argo Group Estimates $71M in Catastrophe, COVID Losses During Third Quarter
Oct 22 2020 // Argo Group International Holdings Ltd. announced that its results for the third quarter of 2020 will be adversely affected by estimated losses of $71 million related to various natural catastrophe events and the continued...
Monitor: PG&E in California Prioritized Targets Over Reducing Wildfire Risk
Oct 22 2020 // PG&E Corp. prioritized meeting inspection targets over meaningful reduction of wildfire risk, according to a monitor overseeing the utility’s program of trimming trees and vegetation that pose a threat of...
Hurricane Epsilon, 10th of Season, Expected to Approach Bermuda Tonight
Oct 22 2020 // Hurricane Epsilon, the 10th of this very busy Atlantic season, was moving toward Bermuda on Wednesday. Epsilon is expected to make its closest approach to the island on Thursday night, and there is a risk of a direct...
More than 6,500 Still in Louisiana Shelters After Hurricanes
Oct 21 2020 // More than 6,500 people are still in temporary shelters after back-to-back hurricanes hit Louisiana, according to the state, but some are being told to leave. The Department of Children and Family Services said about 6,430...
New Mercury Insurance Programs Target California Homeowners’ Wildfire Risk
Oct 21 2020 // Mercury Insurance has launched two new programs designed to help Californians better protect their homes and families if they live in areas prone to wildfires. Homeowners who take one or more steps to either harden their...
Travelers Reports Strong 3Q with Profit More Than Doubling
Oct 20 2020 // The Travelers Companies had a strong third quarter, reporting net income grew to $827 million, up from $396 million in the prior year quarter. An increase in the quarter’s core income to $798 million compared to $378...
Tropical Storm Epsilon Grows in Strength as It Heads Toward Bermuda
Oct 20 2020 // Tropical Storm Epsilon has formed in the central Atlantic and will move northwest, probably growing into a hurricane as it nears Bermuda late this week. Epsilon’s winds have reached 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour...
Report: Cost of Damage from August Midwest Windstorm Up to $7.5B
Oct 20 2020 // Damage estimates from a rare windstorm that slammed Iowa and some other parts of the Midwest in August are growing, with the total now at $7.5 billion, according to a new report. The Aug. 10 storm hit Iowa hard but also...
California Pledges to Protect Homeowners from Insurer Withdrawals Due to Wildfires
Oct 19 2020 // California’s insurance commissioner on Monday pledged to step up efforts to protect the state’s residents from wildfires and address a pullback of private insurers from the state’s riskiest...
Oregon Issues Wildfire Emergency Order and Bulletin for Insurers
Oct 19 2020 // The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services’ Division of Financial Regulation has issued a new wildfire emergency order. The order took effect after the current emergency order expired on Oct. 18. The...
Light Earthquake Confirmed in Alaska’s Largest City, No Damage
Oct 19 2020 // A light earthquake shook Alaska’s major population center, but there were no reports of damage, the Alaska Earthquake Center confirmed. The magnitude 4.0 earthquake shook Anchorage and nearby communities, including...
Insurance Losses for April’s Queensland Hailstorms Estimated at A$604M: PERILS
Oct 19 2020 // The insurance industry’s loss footprint for the April 2020 Central Queensland hailstorms is estimated at A$604 million (US$423.2 million), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides...
