Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas Calls for 2018 Catastrophe Data on Commercial Property, Business Insurance
Jun 20 2019 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has issued special data call to companies that wrote direct commercial property or businessowners insurance in Texas and to certain farm mutual insurance companies that wrote...
Tornado Damages Homes in Mississippi; No Injuries Reported
Jun 20 2019 // Forecasters say a tornado caused some damage in Hinds County – a somewhat uncommon storm for June in central Mississippi. The National Weather Service says the EF-1 twister struck Monday near Raymond, Mississippi. No...
How PG&E’s $1B to Local Governments for Wildfire Damage Will be Paid
Jun 20 2019 // A California utility agreed Tuesday to pay $1 billion to 14 local governments to cover damages from a series of deadly wildfires caused by its downed power lines. The settlement is a sliver of the more than $30 billion in...
Insured Property Losses for December 2018 Sydney Hailstorms Rise to A$766M: PERILS
Jun 20 2019 // Insured losses for the hailstorms, which hit the greater Sydney region on Dec. 20, 2018, have risen to A$766 million (US$526.6 million), according to PERILS, in its third loss estimate for the storms. PERILS, the...
Caribbean Insurers’ Net Income Rebounds After 2016-2017 Hurricane Seasons: AM Best
Jun 19 2019 // An analysis of AM Best-rated property/casualty insurers based in the Caribbean found that overall net income rebounded significantly following the 2016-2017 hurricanes to $32.2 million in 2018 compared with a $4.3 million...
Weather Service: 9 Confirmed Tornadoes Hit Central Indiana over Weekend
Jun 18 2019 // The National Weather Service says at least nine tornadoes struck Indiana, damaging a school and other buildings and downing trees. It says three EF2 tornadoes with winds up to 130 mph (210 kph) struck Greene, Monroe and...
PERILS Buys Canada’s Catastrophe Loss & Exposure Analysis Firm CatIQ
Jun 18 2019 // PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data, has acquired Toronto-based Catastrophe Indices & Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). Financial details of the deal were...
Harvey Recovery Ongoing as 2019 Hurricane Season Begins
Jun 17 2019 // Early forecasts for the 2019 U.S. Atlantic hurricane season anticipate the period will be an “average” one. Hurricane season officially runs June 1 through November 30, however, the first named storm of the...
Oklahoma Climatological Survey: 61 Twisters Hit the State in May
Jun 17 2019 // Of the two types of weather hazards — floods and tornadoes — that beset Oklahoma in May, flooding won out as the most widespread and damaging, according to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS). Still, at...
What Might Happen If Congress Fails to Renew Terrorism Reinsurance Program
Jun 17 2019 // The long-term viability of the U.S. property terrorism insurance market is back in the spotlight as Congress looks at renewing the federal reinsurance backstop, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act...
Agencies Conduct Preliminary Tornado Damage Assessment in 10 Ohio Counties
Jun 17 2019 // Federal and state emergency management teams on June 5 began assessing damage in areas in the 10 Ohio counties impacted by late-May tornadoes. The Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA) joined the Federal Emergency...
Texas Governor Signs Disaster Relief, Preparedness Bills
Jun 14 2019 // Gov. Greg Abbott has signed four bills into law aimed at bolstering the state’s emergency preparedness and disaster relief programs, including framework that provides more than $1.6 billion for flood control projects...
Nevada Attorney General Recommends $25M Wildfire Settlement
Jun 14 2019 // Nevada’s attorney general is recommending approval of a $25 million settlement with homeowners and insurance companies who sought more than $300 million in damages from the state after a fire destroyed 24 homes south...
Travelers Beefing Up Wildfire Protection After 2018 California Blazes
Jun 14 2019 // Travelers Cos. is strengthening its wildfire-defense efforts after deadly blazes swept through California last year. The insurer is adding a service to all of its California home and landlord policies, helping customers...
Wyoming Expecting Average Wildfire Conditions
Jun 13 2019 // Average conditions are predicted for the Wyoming wildfire season this year, but officials say they expect the season to be less severe than last year. Wyoming Public Radio reports State Forester Bill Crapser says fire...
Cleveland, Ohio, Shaken by Mag 4 Earthquake
Jun 12 2019 // Federal geologists say an earthquake of an estimated magnitude 4.0 hit Monday morning just northeast of Cleveland in Lake Erie, shaking up residents who flooded dispatch centers with calls. There were no immediate reports...
New ‘Prepare Florida’ Initiative Offers Hurricane Preparedness Resources
Jun 12 2019 // Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis has launched an initiative designed to encourage Floridians to prepare now before a hurricane makes landfall. According to a statement from the Florida Department of...
Zurich, Vertus Launch Hurricane Deductible Buy-Back Program in Florida
Jun 11 2019 // Zurich has launched Cat4Home, a new hurricane deductible buy-back program through Vertus Insurance Partners. Cat4Home is a supplemental insurance policy available to residential homeowners in Florida and covers 100% of the...
Digital Billboards in Illinois City to Display Tornado Warnings
Jun 11 2019 // The National Weather Service and an outdoor advertising company are teaming up to equip nine digital billboards in central Illinois with the ability to display tornado warnings. Adams Outdoor Advertising says the...
Florida Timber Industry to Receive $480M from Feds for Hurricane Michael Recovery
Jun 10 2019 // Governor Ron DeSantis says nearly half a billion dollars from the federal government will help Florida timber growers recover from the impacts of Hurricane Michael. The governor met with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny...
