Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Earthquakes and Blowouts Undermine Case for Carbon Storage in Texas
Jan 7 2025 // Texas has seen surging interest from companies hoping to bury carbon dioxide in its oilfields, putting the state at the vanguard of a government-subsidized program to fight climate change. But pumping CO2 into the ground...
China Says 32 People Killed, 38 Hurt as Earthquake Hits Tibet
Jan 7 2025 // China said 32 people have been killed and another 38 were injured by an earthquake that struck its far western region of Tibet. The epicenter of the magnitude 6.8 quake that hit around 9:05 a.m. Tuesday morning was in...
Global Property Catastrophe Rates-on-Line Down 6.6% During Renewals: Guy Carpenter
Jan 6 2025 // Guy Carpenter reports that average global and regional property catastrophe rates-on-line decreased during the January 2025 renewals in amounts ranging from 5.3% to 7.2%. Guy Carpenter defines rate on line (ROL) as the...
Wildfire Smoke Health Risks Can Linger in Homes That Escape Burning
Jan 2 2025 // (THE CONVERSATION) On Dec. 30, 2021, a wind-driven wildfire raced through two communities just outside Boulder, Colorado. In the span of about eight hours, more than 1,000 homes and businesses burned. The fire left entire...
Storm System Spawned 45 Reports of Tornadoes Across South
Dec 31 2024 // Officials assessed the damage on Sunday after a strong storm system moved across the southern U.S. over the weekend, spawning tornadoes and killing at least four people. There were at least 45 reports of tornado damage...
Another Hurricane Cost: Duke Energy Files to Recover $1B in Expenses from Storms
Dec 31 2024 // Florida consumers, already fuming in recent years from higher property insurance premiums, repair costs and homeowner association fees, could soon see another burden on their pocketbooks: Duke Energy has filed a plan with...
Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi Kill 2 and Injure 6
Dec 30 2024 // HOUSTON (AP) — A strong storm system threatened to whip up tornadoes in parts of the U.S. Southeast on Sunday, a day after severe weather claimed at least two lives as twisters touched down in Texas and...
AT&T, Verizon Say Networks Now Clear After Salt Typhoon Hack
Dec 30 2024 // AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. acknowledged that they’d been hit by the China-linked Salt Typhoon hacking operation but that their networks were now clear from the intrusion. The hackers attempted to...
The War on Wildfires Is Going High-Tech
Dec 27 2024 // Last December, a farmer was burning dry grapevines in his vineyard in Deir Mar Moussa, a hill town a dozen miles east of Beirut known for its 18th century monastery and stands of pine forest. Usually this would be...
Catastrophe-Bond Issuance Pushes Overall Market to Almost $50 Billion
Dec 26 2024 // Catastrophe-bond issuance rose to a record this year, increasing the overall market to almost $50 billion, as insurers transferred more risk from costly climate disasters to private investors. Sales of bonds earmarked for...
Farmers Still Reeling After Hurricane Helene Ravaged Crops Across the Southeast
Dec 23 2024 // LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Twisted equipment and snapped tree limbs still litter Chris Hopkins’ Georgia farm more than two months after Hurricane Helene made its deadly march across the South. An irrigation sprinkler system...
Surviving the ‘Silver Tsunami’: Closing the Talent, Skills Gap in Underwriting
Dec 20 2024 // With a “silver tsunami” of skilled underwriters eligible to retire in coming years and a shift in employee expectations, recruitment and retention is a critical focus for the insurance industry right now, said...
Severe Weather Brings Snow, Ice to Midwest and a Tornado in California
Dec 17 2024 // OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A tornado near a mall in central California swept up cars, uprooted trees and sent several people to the hospital. In San Francisco, authorities issued the first-ever tornado warning. Elsewhere,...
Oregon Lawmakers OK $218M in Emergency Wildfire Funding
Dec 17 2024 // Oregon lawmakers approved $218 million in emergency wildfire funds during special session that was convened to address unpaid bills stemming from the state’s 2024 record wildfire season. As wildfires still rage in...
International, Domestic Insurers Push Into Catastrophe-Hit US Property Markets
Dec 16 2024 // International and domestic insurers are pushing into the U.S. market for hard-to-protect homes, charging high premiums and enjoying strong profits after some U.S. firms pulled out. Rising losses from storms, hurricanes and...
Climate Change ‘Supercharged’ Philippines’ Typhoon Season, Study Finds
Dec 16 2024 // A warming climate fueled the blitz of six powerful storms that hit the Philippines within a matter of weeks this year, according to a new study. The conditions that enabled the unusual string of tropical cyclones late in...
Senators Say US Must Boost Security After Chinese Salt Typhoon Telecom Hacking
Dec 12 2024 // The United States must do more to address hacking threats after China’s alleged efforts known as Salt Typhoon to infiltrate American telecommunications companies and steal data about U.S. calls, senators said at a...
Catastrophe Bonds See Investor Influx After ‘Fantastic’ Run
Dec 10 2024 // After emerging from an unusually active hurricane season with market-beating returns, catastrophe bonds are rapidly adding investors. Despite the increase in extreme weather — 2024 marked the ninth straight season in...
Earthquakes Under a Volcano Near Alaska’s Largest City Raise Concerns
Dec 9 2024 // An increase in the number of earthquakes under a volcano near Alaska’s largest city this year has geologists paying attention. Mount Spurr, about 80 miles northwest of Anchorage, last erupted in 1992, spewing an ash...
Miss. Supreme Court Orders USAA to Pay $15M in Hurricane Katrina Bad-Faith Claim
Dec 9 2024 // When hurricanes hit coastal areas, property insurers often breathe a sigh of relief when much of the damage appears to be the result of storm surge and flooding – losses that aren’t covered by most...
