Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
6 Hurt as Tornado Tears Through Arkansas College Town
Mar 30 2020 // A tornado ripped through northeast Arkansas on Saturday, leaving six people hurt after hitting commercial and residential areas in the college town of Jonesboro. The six people reported injured were taken to a local...
Severe Weather Spawns Tornadoes, ‘100-Year Flood’ in Midwest
Mar 30 2020 // A severe weather system tore through the Midwest over the weekend, bringing damaging high winds, tornadoes and flooding. Authorities say severe weather in Ohio spawned what forecasters are calling a “100-year...
PG&E to Use California Wildfire Victims Fund to Pay for Past Crimes
Mar 30 2020 // Pacific Gas & Electric is warning its elaborate plan for getting out of bankruptcy might collapse if the utility can’t pay for its crimes in a deadly Northern California wildfire by taking money away from a fund...
Tech Issues Hampered Information on Tsunami Watch for Hawaii
Mar 27 2020 // Technical issues made it difficult to get information about a tsunami watch for Hawaii and its subsequent cancellation, the National Weather Service said Wednesday. The brief tsunami watch was canceled Tuesday after a 7.5...
PG&E’s Falling Stock Price Worries California Wildfire Victims Eyeing Deal
Mar 27 2020 // The stock market turmoil triggered by the coronavirus pandemic is raising worries that Pacific Gas & Electric’s $13.5 billion settlement with victims of catastrophic wildfires may be worth far less by the time...
Suspected Tornado Causes Damage Along Mississippi-Alabama Line
Mar 26 2020 // Teresa Hazelwood stopped by a Dollar General store in northern Mississippi to get some chips, and soon found herself riding out a suspected tornado in the parking lot and felt it lifting her car. She gripped the steering...
Georgia Adjuster Accused of Stealing $215K from Business Affected by Hurricane Michael
Mar 25 2020 // An insurance adjuster was charged with stealing more than $215,000 in insurance money from a Georgia business damaged by Hurricane Michael, authorities said. Steven Eric Chastain is accused of stealing insurance checks...
M4.7 Earthquake Confirmed off Coast of Northern California
Mar 24 2020 // A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck Sunday morning off the coast of Northern California, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The quake hit at 8:27 a.m. about 50 miles west of Ferndale, a coastal town of 1,300 people. A...
PG&E Will Plead Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in California Wildfire
Mar 24 2020 // Pacific Gas & Electric said it will plead guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2018 fire in Northern California that killed 84 people and decimated three towns. The utility said in a...
Tornado-Bearing Storms Spread Damage Across Parts of Arkansas, Texas
Mar 23 2020 // Severe storms, including at least one possible tornado, struck parts of Arkansas on the evening of March 19, damaging homes and causing widespread damage to trees and power lines. Additionally, the National Weather Service...
Officials Confirm Earthquake Caused Minor Damage in Nevada
Mar 23 2020 // A 4.5 magnitude earthquake that struck near Carson City, Nev., on Friday night caused minor damages across the city, authorities confirmed. Some damage to items on shelves inside stores was reported and one building shut...
FEMA Tackles COVID-19 While Also Facing Past Disasters, Spring Flood Season
Mar 23 2020 // It wasn’t until Wednesday, five days after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it was “leading the federal coordination” to the...
California Legislative Recess Leaves Wildfire Plan in Limbo
Mar 22 2020 // Californians statewide are huddled at home under a “shelter-in-place” order handed down March 20 by Gov. Gavin Newsom to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Unfortunately, nature does not take a break for...
Unconfirmed Tornado in North Texas Damages Roofs, Outbuildings
Mar 20 2020 // At least one unconfirmed tornado tore through part of rural North Texas on Wednesday night, damaging numerous roofs and outbuildings, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Storm spotters reported...
M5.7 Earthquake in Utah Confirmed
Mar 20 2020 // With much of normal life at a screeching halt to combat the coronavirus, millions of people in Utah are hunkered down in the safety of their homes. But on Wednesday morning, even that protection felt fragile as an...
Report: Climate Change Requires a ‘Rethink’ of How Catastrophic Events are Funded
Mar 19 2020 // Severe weather events and demographic challenges will continue to strain government finances, a trend that will require “a rethink of how catastrophic events are funded” and push the need for greater use of...
Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Hurricane Disaster Assistance Fraud
Mar 19 2020 // A Florida woman has pleaded guilty to lying about damage caused by Hurricane Irma. Bernita Willette Carswell, 36, pleaded guilty in Jacksonville federal court last week to one count of disaster assistance fraud, according...
Colorado Man And His Insurer to Pay $500K Over 2017 Wildfire
Mar 19 2020 // A Colorado man and his insurance company paid $500,000 to the U.S. government over a wildfire that burned federal land in the state. Dale Owns and Grange Insurance Association made the payment to resolve liability for the...
Tennessee Regulator Places Moratorium on Policy Cancellation of Tornado Victims
Mar 18 2020 // The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) has issued a directive to all licensed Tennessee insurance carriers that cancellations/non-renewals for non-payment of insurance premiums on all lines are to be...
Difficult Choices Ahead for Historic Buildings in Tennessee Ravaged by Tornadoes
Mar 17 2020 // Property owners affected by the tornadoes earlier this month now face two options: rebuild or bulldoze. The storms damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses throughout Middle Tennessee. And historic buildings...
