Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas Windstorm Insurer Not Filing Rate Hike for 2020
Aug 19 2019 // Texas’ provider of last resort for wind and hail insurance for coastal properties won’t be raising its residential and commercial property rates next year. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) said...
NOAA Ups Hurricane Forecast as El Nino Fades Away
Aug 19 2019 // Forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who are monitoring oceanic and atmospheric patterns say with the demise of El Nino this summer, conditions are now more favorable for above-normal named...
42% of $44 Billion Global Catastrophe Losses in First Half Were Insured: Swiss Re
Aug 16 2019 // Natural catastrophes and man-made disasters in the first half of 2019 were responsible for USD $44 billion of economic losses globally, according to Swiss Re Institute’s preliminary sigma estimates. This figure is...
Insured Losses in China from Typhoon Lekima Will Exceed CNY 6 Billion: AIR
Aug 16 2019 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimates insured losses in China from Typhoon Lekima will exceed CNY 6 billion. Lekima made landfall in Taizhou, Zhejiang, China, at 2 a.m. on August 10 local time, with...
Outside Inspectors Find Tree Hazards That PG&E Contractors Overlooked
Aug 16 2019 // PG&E Corp.’s court-appointed compliance monitor concluded the utility isn’t trimming trees that pose wildfire threats in high-risk areas of California and didn’t train its contractors properly. The...
Tropical Storm Krosa Slams Japan, Disrupting Transportation, Factories, Power
Aug 15 2019 // Severe tropical storm Krosa lashed western and southern Japan with torrential rain and wind, causing Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways to cancel hundreds of domestic and international flights, and some train lines...
Emergency Crews From Denmark Helping Greenland with Wildfires
Aug 15 2019 // As scientists warn that Greenland is melting at a record pace, the island is relying on emergency services from outside its borders to help it extinguish a wildfire. Denmark will send 38 firefighters to Greenland to help...
Real Hurricane ‘Season Within a Season’ About to Begin
Aug 15 2019 // Don’t be lulled by a quiet June and July, the real Atlantic hurricane season is about to kick off. The hurricane season generally runs from June 1 to the end of November. But the next six weeks — “the...
Northern California Wildfire Victims Can File Claims With PG&E
Aug 14 2019 // People affected by wildfires in Northern California in 2017 and 2018 can soon file claims for housing assistance and other immediate needs with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. They can file their claims online through the...
4 Facts that the Number of Open Michael Claims Won’t Tell You
Aug 14 2019 // Much is being made of a recent call by Florida Insurance Commissioner, David Altmaier, for insurance companies to “redouble efforts to resolve all open claims…” related to Hurricane Michael. Here’s the...
Many Reinsurers Take Increased Catastrophe Risks as Rates Harden: S&P
Aug 14 2019 // Some global reinsurers have chosen to stop retrenching from catastrophe risks, deciding instead to take advantage of higher premium rates and increase their exposure, according to S&P Global Ratings. Although risk...
Earthquakes Rattle Parts of Oklahoma
Aug 13 2019 // No damage has been reported following a series of earthquakes that rattled parts of Oklahoma. The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded about 8:30 p.m. Sunday near Quinton, about 123 miles...
California Group Seeking Legislative Action on Wildfires
Aug 12 2019 // A broad California coalition is calling for support for package of bills to create a California Wildfire Warning Center, develop more skilled firefighters and establish defensible space standards Action for Wildfire...
Germany’s Forests Damaged by Droughts and Wildfires, Stoking Climate Debate
Aug 12 2019 // Germany’s forests – long a source of pride and national identity – are feeling the heat. A second consecutive year of unusually dry and warm weather has left swaths of dead and dying trees, fueling fears that the...
Typhoon Lekima Roars Through Eastern China, Killing at Least 32
Aug 12 2019 // The death toll from a typhoon in eastern China rose to 32 on Sunday, with 16 people missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported, as the country braced for more travel disruptions as the storm moved further north up the...
Hurricane Activity Could Pick Up as El Nino Fades, Say Forecasters
Aug 12 2019 // Government meteorologists say this year’s hurricane season may be busier than initially expected now that summer’s weak El Nino has faded away. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s...
Hurricane Barry Cost Economy $600M, Insurers $300M: Aon Catastrophe Report
Aug 9 2019 // Total economic losses, largely flood-driven, were expected to exceed US$600 million, while public and private insurers paid out nearly US$300 million, said Aon in its latest edition of its monthly Global Catastrophe Recap...
Lawsuit Says Manufacturer, Rancher Caused Oregon Wildfire
Aug 9 2019 // A lawsuit says a rancher, workers and the John Deere farm equipment company are at fault for a wildfire that burned parts of an Oregon Native American reservation. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs filed the...
PG&E Posts $2.6B Loss Stemming From California Wildfires, Bankruptcy
Aug 9 2019 // PG&E Corp. reported a $2.6 billion loss for the second quarter as costs from devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018 and the California utility’s giant’s ongoing bankruptcy wiped out earnings. The loss...
China Braces for Typhoon Lekima as Strongest Storm to Hit Region in 2019
Aug 9 2019 // Flights and high-speed train services were canceled in Shanghai as the strongest typhoon to hit the region this year swept past Taiwan and headed toward the Chinese coast. Air China Ltd., China Eastern Airlines Corp. and...
