Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Kovrr Develops Open Framework for Measuring Catastrophic Cyber Risk
Jul 9 2020 // Kovrr, a cyber risk modeling company, announced it has developed an easy-to-use open framework to measure and understand catastrophic cyber risk exposure. The CRA-Zones™ framework defines the minimal elements needed to...
Arctic Temperatures Soar to Record Levels in June, Stoking Wildfires: EU Data
Jul 7 2020 // GENEVA/MOSCOW – Temperatures in Arctic Siberia soared to a record average for June amid a heat wave that is stoking some of the worst wildfires the region has ever known, European Union (EU) data showed on...
Forest Service Orders Colorado Train to Halt Wildfire Mitigation
Jul 6 2020 // The U.S. Forest Service shut down an extensive fire mitigation project after raising concerns about the number of trees being cut down and sold to a logging company in southwestern Colorado. The Durango & Silverton...
PG&E Exits Bankruptcy, Pays $5B into California Wildfire Fund
Jul 6 2020 // Pacific Gas & Electric has emerged from a contentious bankruptcy saga that began after its long-neglected electrical grid ignited wildfires in California that killed more than 100 people. The nation’s largest...
Understanding Risk in a Decade of Natural Catastrophes
Jul 6 2020 // In the past 10 years, the U.S. has seen 121 events produce damage in excess of $1 billion. Globally, this escalates with many more events around the world. From major hurricanes and floods, to annual severe weather,...
Whether Public or Private, Flood Insurance Is a Must, Experts Say
Jul 6 2020 // Tropical Storm Imelda hit the Texas Gulf Coast on Sept. 17, 2019, as a fairly low-level tropical storm but that doesn’t mean it was an inexpensive one in terms of property damage, especially with regard to...
Wildfire Burns 20 Homes in Southern California Desert Town
Jul 1 2020 // A wind-driven wildfire destroyed homes and forced evacuations as it tore through a rural Southern California desert town near the Salton Sea, authorities said. The fire erupted Sunday evening in Niland, a small and poor...
3 Quick Hurricane Season Tips (Just a Little Late)
Jul 1 2020 // So far hurricane season has been uneventful unless you consider the giant Saharan dust cloud that traveled across the Atlantic. That just means that now is a great time for a few important hurricane season...
Fireworks Spark Utah Wildfire, Evacuations, Officials Say
Jun 29 2020 // Fireworks caused a wildfire in Utah that forced out residents of houses and an apartment building early on June 28 as the flames encroached on a residential area, officials said. A suspect was cooperating with law...
Insurtech MGA Delos, Canopius to Offer Wildfire Protection Coverage in California
Jun 29 2020 // Delos Insurance Solutions, a property insurtech managing general agent (MGA), has created a new insurance product with Canopius US Insurance designed to improve the homeowners insurance options for those living in wildfire...
Week Before Trump’s Visit, Wildfire Burns Near Mount Rushmore
Jun 26 2020 // South Dakota brought in more resources on June 25 to fight a wildfire burning near Mount Rushmore ahead of next week’s visit to the monument by President Donald Trump for Independence Day celebrations. The fire that...
Washington Firefighters Prep for Wildfire Season Amid Pandemic
Jun 26 2020 // Washington state firefighters are preparing for a season of potential summer wildfires while adopting new health safety measures amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has added a new layer of...
No Damage, Injuries from M4.6 Earthquake in Central California
Jun 24 2020 // An earthquake rattled Central California Monday evening but no damage or injuries were immediately reported, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. A magnitude-4.6 temblor struck at 5:25 p.m. southeast of the community of...
U.S. Economic Losses from Severe Weather During May Topped $4 Billion: Aon
Jun 24 2020 // Severe weather outbreaks across the United States, with a lot of hailstorm damage, resulted in another costly month for insurers as a significant proportion of the US$4 billion economic cost was covered by insurance,...
Tropical Storm Dolly Becomes 4th Named Storm with Early Start to Hurricane Season
Jun 24 2020 // Tropical Storm Dolly spun up southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, becoming the Atlantic’s fourth named storm of 2020, marking the third-fastest start to a storm season in more than a century. The system’s winds...
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Northern Oklahoma
Jun 23 2020 // A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook northern Oklahoma on June 20 and was felt in parts of Tulsa as protesters filled the city’s downtown streets after President Donald Trump’s campaign rally. The U.S. Geological...
Parametric Catastrophe Facility CCRIF Pays US$3.6M to Guatemala for Excess Rainfall
Jun 23 2020 // Parametric catastrophe facility CCRIF paid the government of Guatemala approximately US$3.6 million under its excess rainfall (XSR) parametric insurance policy for nine days of rain that occurred during Tropical Storms...
Crews Battling 4 Wildfires in Arizona
Jun 22 2020 // Hundreds of firefighters continued to battle three major wildfires burning in forested mountains and desert hills across Arizona. Crews were fighting fires in the Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National Forest...
Second Lawsuit Filed Against Oregon Ranch Over Wildfire
Jun 22 2020 // A second lawsuit has been filed against an Oregon ranch accused of causing millions of dollars in damages by negligently igniting a 2018 wildfire. The federal government filed a complaint claiming that J-Spear Ranch of...
Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake Confirmed in Central Nevada
Jun 22 2020 // A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck central Nevada Friday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The temblor struck at 1:42 p.m. about 21 miles southeast of Mina, Nevada, in Esmeralda County’s Monte Cristo...
