Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
What if California Faces a Disaster During The Pandemic?
Apr 14 2020 // California has evacuation plans for earthquakes, floods, mudslides and, of course, wildfires, but what if one of those disasters occurs as the state is dealing with the coronavirus outbreak when everyone is being urged to...
Suddenly There Is Big Demand for Pandemic Cover, Says Underwriter
Apr 14 2020 // In the midst of this pandemic, insurance buyers and their brokers are looking for COVID-19 pandemic coverage, which is like buying property insurance when your house is on fire, according to Tracey Gibbons, senior vice...
11 Deaths Confirmed in Mississippi, Tornado Damage Reported Across Southeast
Apr 13 2020 // There are 11 confirmed deaths, multiple injuries and damage in 18 counties in Mississippi due to severe weather that hit the state April 12, according to an initial damage report from Mississippi Emergency Management...
Texas Delays FAIR Plan Rate Changes; OKs Windstorm Insurer Policy Forms
Apr 13 2020 // The Texas Department of Insurance has moved the effective date of approved rate changes for the state’s FAIR Plan from May 1, 2020, to Aug. 1, 2020. TDI said the date change was due to the impact of the coronavirus...
M5.2 Earthquake Rattles California-Nevada State Line
Apr 13 2020 // An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 rattled the remote California-Nevada state line but no damage or injuries were reported. The quake just struck after 7:36 a.m. Saturday and was centered near Bodie, a...
Judge Won’t Approve California Wildfire Victims Letter Attacking PG&E
Apr 9 2020 // A federal judge has refused to put his stamp of approval on a letter to Northern California wildfire victims from attorneys who allege that Pacific Gas & Electric may be breaking its promises as it tries to preserve a...
Market Tumult Threatens PG&E Deal with California Wildfire Victims
Apr 8 2020 // Lawyers who negotiated a crucial $13.5 billion deal for the victims of deadly wildfires caused by Pacific Gas & Electric equipment are expressing serious doubts about whether the nation’s largest utility will be...
Failure to Act on Climate Change Could Make Weather Risks Uninsurable: Swiss Re
Apr 8 2020 // Global warming will lead to growing intensity and frequency of severe weather events, rising losses, as well as greater uncertainty in the assessment of these events by the insurance industry, which could make some weather...
Texas Windstorm Insurer Lowers Initial Premium Amount Due; Extends Payment Deadline
Apr 7 2020 // Texas’ property insurer of last resort for wind and hail in counties along the state’s coastline is temporarily reducing the amount of premium due in order to issue a policy and providing 75 days to pay the...
Firefighters Work to Contain North Carolina Wildfires
Apr 6 2020 // Firefighters kept working on Saturday to slow the spread of western North Carolina wildfires that have spread due to high winds, the U.S. Forest Service said. A fire that began on private property Friday in Haywood County...
Another Member PG&E California Wildfire Panel Resigns
Apr 6 2020 // The former chief financial officer for a Northern California city destroyed in a 2018 wildfire caused by Pacific Gas & Electric equipment is trying to upend the utility’s plan for getting out of bankruptcy...
Idaho Authorities Say No Major Damage After 6.5 Earthquake
Apr 6 2020 // The day after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake rattled Idaho, authorities near the epicenter say there have been no reports of significant damage or injuries. An earthquake struck north of Boise on Tuesday evening, with people...
Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake Confirmed in Southern California
Apr 6 2020 // An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 rattled much of inland Southern California on Friday evening but no damage or injuries were reported, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The quake struck just after 6:53...
Forecaster Sees ‘Greater Than Average’ Hurricane Season This Year
Apr 6 2020 // The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season could see a greater than average number of major hurricanes because of warmer seas and favorable weather patterns, forecasters from Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology...
There’s No Place Like Home … For a Catastrophic Claim Denial
Apr 6 2020 // An elderly widow in Kentucky was admitted to a nursing home to recuperate from surgery. During her convalescence, her nonresident children visited the home frequently, though no one spent the night there, prepared meals,...
Tech Issues Hampered Information on Tsunami Watch for Hawaii
Apr 6 2020 // Technical issues made it difficult to get information about a tsunami watch for Hawaii and its subsequent cancellation, the National Weather Service said. The brief tsunami watch was canceled in late March after a 7.5...
A Coronavirus Outbreak Among Farm Workers Would Be Catastrophic: Viewpoint
Apr 3 2020 // There is no evidence that Covid-19 has been transmitted by food or food packaging, according to U.S. federal health agencies. How the virus fares among food workers may be a different story. By law, food manufacturers must...
This Insurance Would Have Helped in Coronavirus Crisis But Nobody Bought It
Apr 3 2020 // Like everyone else, Peter Lacovara is coping with COVID-19, working at home to limit contagion to the coronavirus and stay healthy. He’s also plugging away trying to keep businesses healthy, as well. In his role as a...
‘I Heard the Roar’: Idaho Hit with 6.5 Magnitude Earthquake
Apr 2 2020 // An earthquake struck north of Boise, Idaho, on Tuesday evening, with people across a large area reporting shaking. The U.S. Geological Survey reports the magnitude 6.5 temblor struck just before 6 p.m. It was centered 73...
Regulators Mull Reversing $462M Increase in PG&E’s California Wildfire Fines
Apr 1 2020 // California power regulators are weighing a recommendation to back off plans to fine Pacific Gas and Electric an additional $462 million for igniting a series of Northern California 2018 deadly wildfires rather than risk...
