Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Tropical Storm Erich Forms, Expected to Become Hurricane as It Heads Toward Hawaii
Jul 29 2019 // Tropical Storm Erich has formed in the Pacific far off the western coast of Mexico and is predicted to become a hurricane by Monday night as it moves over open waters on a path that could take it near the Hawaiian Islands...
Utilities Want in on California Wildfire Insurance Fund, But Others Will Decide
Jul 26 2019 // All three of California’s investor-owned utilities have now signed off on the creation of a $21 billion wildfire fund that any one of them could tap the next time a power line sparks a catastrophic blaze. PG&E...
Massachusetts Governor to Seek Disaster Declaration for Cape Cod Tornado
Jul 26 2019 // Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker says he’ll seek a federal disaster declaration to support cleanup and recovery efforts on Cape Cod after a tornado and high winds caused extensive damage and knocked out power to...
Crews Aided by Light Rain in Battle Against Arizona Wildfire
Jul 25 2019 // Light rain falling Wednesday helped crews battle a wildfire near Flagstaff, Arizona, that has raged for days in a mountain pass recreation area overlooking the city, officials said. Up to 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain...
Insurers Owed $20 Billion Offer Own Rescue Plan for PG&E in Bankruptcy Court
Jul 25 2019 // Insurance companies that say Pacific Gas & Electric owes them more than $20 billion from wildfire claims wants to take over the California utility and pull it out of bankruptcy. The group of insurers filed court...
High Winds, Tornado Rip Off Cape Cod Hotel Roof, Lead to Power Outages
Jul 25 2019 // High winds and one radar-confirmed tornado ripped off a hotel roof, downed trees that blocked roads, and knocked out power to thousands on Cape Cod on Tuesday during the peak of tourist season. A tornado struck Yarmouth...
Wildfire Prompted Evacuations from Idaho Nuclear Energy Lab
Jul 24 2019 // Some employees were evacuated from the Idaho National Laboratory in southeastern Idaho while crews fight a wildfire burning near the nuclear energy research site. INL officials say non-essential employees were evacuated...
Modeler Estimates Insured Losses from California Quakes Less Than $40M
Jul 24 2019 // A catastrophe modeler estimates the total loss from the 7.1 Magnitude and M6.4 earthquakes that struck near Ridgecrest, Calif., earlier this month will be about $200 million, not including infrastructure or damage to...
Ensurance Expands Terrorism, Sabotage Coverage to US; Hires 2 New Underwriters
Jul 24 2019 // Ensurance, the specialist MGA and Lloyd’s of London Coverholder, has launched a new terrorism and sabotage insurance offering for the U.S. market. The product will support the U.S. property market and is backed by an...
Worley, Brown Launch Legion Claims Solutions in Louisiana
Jul 23 2019 // Legion Claims Solutions LLC (Legion), a firm specializing in the management of catastrophe insurance claims, environmental/industrial claims, and governmental disaster recovery programs, has opened in Baton Rouge,...
Clearing Large Swaths of Land Part of Plan to Slow Western Wildfires
Jul 23 2019 // The Trump administration is proposing an ambitious plan to slow Western wildfires by bulldozing, mowing or revegetating large swaths of land along 11,000 miles of terrain in the West. The plan announced this summer would...
Travelers Profit Up 6.3% in Q2 on Lower Catastrophe Losses, Higher Investments
Jul 23 2019 // The Travelers Companies managed to boost its net income to $557 million for the second quarter, six percent more than the $524 million in the prior year quarter. The insurer reported lower catastrophe losses and higher net...
New Barry Insured Loss Estimate: Not More Than $500M, RMS Says
Jul 23 2019 // Global risk modeling and analytics firm, RMS, has estimated that the insured U.S. losses from Hurricane Barry will not exceed $500 million. This estimate represents insured losses associated with wind, storm surge and...
California Earthquake Authority Board Expands Policyholder Eligibility for Retrofit Grants
Jul 22 2019 // The governing board of the California Earthquake Authority has voted to increase the number of policyholders eligible for a $3,000 retrofit grant. The CEA board voted to make the grant available to roughly 30,000 CEA...
Louisiana Ag Officials: Hurricane Barry Farm Damage Fairly Local
Jul 22 2019 // Louisiana farmers say they’ve never seen storm damage worse than Hurricane Barry left behind, but the LSU AgCenter says that statewide crop damage was minimal. AgCenter and federal Farm Service Agency workers are...
Town Leveled by California Wildfire Reopens Its Public Pool
Jul 22 2019 // The public swimming pool in Paradise, California, is reopening for the first time since a catastrophic wildfire destroyed much of the town. CBS13 in Sacramento reports state firefighters used their hoses last week to...
Utility Customers Sue Over California Wildfire Law
Jul 22 2019 // Two Pacific Gas & Electric customers want the federal judge overseeing the company’s bankruptcy to strike down a new California law that Gov. Gavin Newsom has championed as a way of shoring up the state’s...
California Safety Board Oks Regulation to Protect Workers from Wildfire Smoke
Jul 19 2019 // The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has adopted an emergency regulation designed to protect workers from hazards associated with wildfire smoke. The regulation is expected to go into effect in...
Report: California Wildfires Will Get Worse, Blame Climate Change
Jul 18 2019 // Hot, dry weather in California has resulted in a dramatic increase in wildfires. It will get worse – and you can blame climate change, according to a new report out. The report, Observed impacts of anthropogenic climate...
Allstate Says 60% of June Insured Cat Losses Came from Texas
Jul 18 2019 // Announcing total estimated catastrophe losses for June, Allstate Corporation attributed 60 percent of those losses to four severe wind and hail weather events that primarily impacted Texas. Allstate estimated catastrophe...
