Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Wildfire Damage at $25.4B and Rising
Oct 29 2019 // Damages from the fires ripping across California stand at $25.4 billion, and they’re bound to keep rising. The Kincade fire has cost $10.6 billion, while the tally in Southern California is $14.8 billion mainly from...
PG&E Power Shutoffs Hit 2.7M as California Wildfires Burn
Oct 28 2019 // Mass power shutoffs by PG&E Corp. left more than 2.7 million Californians in the dark Sunday, the state’s largest deliberate blackout ever, as the bankrupt utility tries to keep its equipment from igniting...
Torrential Rain Causes Flooding, Mudslides in Japan, Killing at Least 10
Oct 28 2019 // Torrential rain that caused flooding and mudslides in towns east of Tokyo left at least 10 people dead and added fresh damage in areas still recovering from recent typhoons, officials said Saturday. Rescue workers found...
Insurer Group: Dallas Tornado Outbreak Costliest in Texas History
Oct 25 2019 // The nine tornadoes that hit the Dallas, Texas-area over the weekend have caused an estimated $2 billion in damage, an insurer trade group says, making it the costliest tornado loss in Texas history. The Insurance Council...
California Braces for Biggest Blackout Yet as Massive Wildfire Burns
Oct 25 2019 // As wildfires rage and utilities race to restore power, the worst may be yet to come for California residents. PG&E Corp. has restored power to about 165,000 customers in portions of 18 counties, or about 93% of those...
Alabama-Based CNC Hires Kattermann as SVP of Claims Operations
Oct 25 2019 // Insurance adjusting firm CNC Catastrophe & National Claims has added George Kattermann as senior vice president of Claims Operations. He joins the team with more than 30 years of experience in catastrophe claims and...
9 Tornadoes Confirmed in North Texas Outbreak; Insured Losses Pegged at $2B
Oct 24 2019 // The National Weather Service says nine tornadoes struck the Dallas area during Sunday’s stretch of severe storms in Texas. Forecasters confirmed the twisters Tuesday after surveying damage throughout North Texas. The...
500K-Plus Californians Lose Power; Large Wildfire Rages
Oct 24 2019 // More than half a million people have lost power across California as part of a deliberate blackout designed to keep power lines from igniting wildfires. Meanwhile, a major blaze has already erupted. PG&E Corp. and...
Washington Tornado Uprooted Trees, Sending Them into Homes
Oct 24 2019 // The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down near Shelton, Wash. The tornado his on Friday night, with had winds up to 100 mph. The tornado started on land and traveled more than a half mile before moving...
Reinsurers Maintain Upward Pricing Momentum-But Will It Last?
Oct 24 2019 // Positive pricing momentum—it’s the favorite phrase of many reinsurance executives, who are hoping that the momentum they’ve seen in 2019 will continue during the coming January renewals and beyond. The...
Reinsurers’ Earnings to Be Hit After 3rd Year of Major Claims: AM Best
Oct 23 2019 // Reinsurers’ earnings are likely to see further erosion in 2019 after another year of major catastrophe losses, which is prolonging the positive momentum for reinsurance pricing, according to AM Best. “Three...
Insured Losses from Japan’s Typhoon Hagibis Estimated at $8B-$16B: AIR
Oct 22 2019 // Insured losses from Typhoon Hagibis, which made landfall in Japan on Oct. 12, will be between 865 billion Japanese yen (US$8 billion) and JPY 1,730 billion (US$16 billion), with more than half of the losses due to inland...
3 Twisters Confirmed in North Texas; Governor Issues Disaster Declaration
Oct 21 2019 // The National Weather Service has confirmed that three tornadoes ripped through North Texas on Sunday night, two in Dallas County and one in Van Zandt County, arising out of a storm system that caused widespread damage...
No Fatalities Reported After Dallas Hit by Tornado
Oct 21 2019 // The City of Dallas said in a Twitter feed that no fatalities or serious injuries had been reported following a tornado that hit swept through northern part of the city on Sunday night causing widespread property damage,...
Tropical Storm Nestor Spawns Tornadoes in Florida Gulf but Spares Panhandle
Oct 21 2019 // Tropical Storm Nestor was downgraded Saturday after it spawned a tornado that damaged homes and a school in central Florida but spared an area of the Panhandle devastated one year ago by Hurricane Michael. The storm,...
Small Earthquake Confirmed Off Southern Oregon Coast
Oct 21 2019 // A 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of southern Oregon, The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The USGS mapped the earthquake about 96 miles off the coast of Port Orford, a small town in Curry County about 25...
How Risk Management is Transforming Risk in Commercial Property
Oct 21 2019 // Commercial property underwriters are adjusting to a market defined by rising catastrophe losses and dwindling profits. From increasing rates and higher deductibles to fewer classes of business and stricter underwriting,...
26 Insurers Extend Time for 2017 California Wildfire Victims for Living Expenses
Oct 18 2019 // Twenty-six insurers have agreed to extend the time limits for 2017 wildfire survivors to access additional living expense benefits. The companies represent a majority of the total losses from the devastating 2017 wildfires...
National Hurricane Center Issues Tropical Storm Warning Along Gulf Coast
Oct 18 2019 // A disturbance in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico is likely to become a tropical storm that will hit the northern U.S. Gulf Coast with wind and rain, forecasters said Thursday. Moving off the eastern coast of Mexico, the...
PG&E Noteholders, California Wildfire Victims File Formal Reorganization Plan
Oct 18 2019 // Noteholders of PG&E Corp. and a committee for victims of the wildfires that pushed the power producer into bankruptcy filed a formal reorganization plan on Thursday for the company, proposing they get effectively all...
