Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Georgia Gov. Blasts Congress for Inaction on Hurricane Aid Package
Apr 16 2019 // Georgia’s governor and other state leaders are blasting Congress over its failure to approve a package of disaster relief measures. The $14 billion aid package is desperately needed by farmers and others who suffered...
California Earthquake Authority Board Votes to Sponsor Resilient Homes Initiative
Apr 15 2019 // The California Earthquake Authority’s governing board has voted to sponsor and support the Resilient Homes Initiative, a bill aimed at helping Californians prepare for earthquakes by restructuring the CEA to...
Washington Official Wants to Raise Insurance Tax to Help Fight Wildfires
Apr 15 2019 // With an increasing number of forest fires scorching portions of Washington each year, the Legislature is considering a proposal to create a fund dedicated to preventing and battling wildfires. In March, Commissioner of...
Hawaii Hit by M5.3 Earthquake: USGS
Apr 15 2019 // A magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The quake hit about 5 p.m. and had an epicenter about 15 miles southwest of Kailua-Kona, a city of...
FEMA Accused of Wrongly Releasing Data of California Wildfire Victims
Apr 15 2019 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency wrongly released to a contractor the personal information of 2.3 million survivors of devastating 2017 hurricanes and wildfires, potentially exposing the victims to identity fraud...
California’s Governor Proposes Wildfire Fund, Seeks PG&E Fix
Apr 14 2019 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom gave legislators just three months to address a multibillion-dollar wildfire liability problem that has forced the state’s largest power company, PG&E Corp., into bankruptcy and...
Texas Releases New Guidelines for Insurer Catastrophe Data Collection, Reporting
Apr 12 2019 // Applying lessons learned after Hurricane Harvey, the Texas Department of Insurance has upgraded its procedures for collecting and reporting data following a disaster. TDI recently released its new catastrophe data...
Insurance Industry Must Wake Up to Costs of ‘Secondary’ Catastrophe Perils: Swiss Re
Apr 12 2019 // The insurance industry must wake up to the growing cost of “secondary” catastrophe perils, which amounted to more than 60 percent of the $76 billion price tag for insured natural catastrophe losses during 2018,...
Don’t Count on Home Insurance to Cover Cost of Rebuilding: Viewpoint
Apr 12 2019 // Own a home? No doubt you’ve insured it. Very sensible of you. But if that home were, say, burned to the ground, then your insurance company probably wouldn’t cover the cost of rebuilding it. Don’t feel...
Southwestern Montana Hit with Earthquake, Aftershocks
Apr 11 2019 // An earthquake that struck Tuesday in a rural area near the Idaho-Montana border was felt as far away as Helena and was followed by multiple aftershocks, but no damage was immediately reported. The main quake struck just...
Terrorism, Populist Politics Raise Risks for European Businesses: Aon Report
Apr 10 2019 // Europe faces an increasingly complex security environment, as Islamist and far-right terrorism creates new vulnerabilities for businesses and communities, according to new research from the broker Aon. In 2019, the risk...
Global Floods Cause $8B in Economic Losses During March: Aon Catastrophe Report
Apr 10 2019 // Damage from flooding in March 2019 is estimated at US$8 billion from events across the globe, according to Aon’s “Global Catastrophe Recap – March 2019.” “The major catastrophe events of March...
Insurers Oppose Premium Tax to Fund Washington’s Wildfire Prevention
Apr 9 2019 // Lobbyists for the property/casualty insurance industry are trying to prevent a $125 million jump in the state of Washington’s insurance premium tax that would fund wildfire prevention and suppression. The tax would...
Insurers Pitch Quick-Paying Parametric Disaster Insurance to Public Sector
Apr 9 2019 // Some of the world’s largest insurers are eagerly pitching cities, states and even school districts on policies designed to pay out quickly with few questions in the event of extreme weather. The catch: Even a...
Defective Electrical Panel Caused 2017 Wildfire in California’s Butte County
Apr 7 2019 // An investigation has determined that a July 2017 wildfire that destroyed more than 40 homes in Northern California was sparked by a defective electrical panel at a Butte County home. The state Department of Forestry and...
California Weighs Catastrophic Wildfire Fund as Way to Protect Utilities
Apr 5 2019 // Creation of a catastrophic wildfire risk pool is emerging as the most likely option as California lawmakers seek to protect the solvency of investor-owned utilities from record payouts for fire damages. PG&E filed for...
Here’s the ‘Unlucky 13’ Forecast for the 2019 Hurricane Season
Apr 5 2019 // There’s a lot of reasons people think 13 is an unlucky number. This year may add another. At least 13 storm systems should reach tropical strength and get a name in 2019, with five becoming hurricanes and two...
Judge Tells PG&E to Hold Dividends to Pay to Help Reduce Wildfire Risks
Apr 3 2019 // A U.S. judge said on Tuesday that PG&E Corp. cannot resume dividends and must use the money to reduce wildfire risk in California, stopping short of more costly measures he proposed earlier this year. The new criminal...
Year 2000 Fort Worth Tornado Triggered Development Boom
Apr 2 2019 // It’s been nearly 20 years since a tornado lumbered through downtown Fort Worth and experts say the deadly storm left behind more than just destruction. The March 28, 2000, twister, which caused an estimated $400...
Hurricane Michael Debris Fueling Wildfire in Florida Panhandle
Apr 2 2019 // Nearly two dozen Florida homes have been evacuated because of a 500-acre wildfire that grew rapidly overnight because of downed trees from Hurricane Michael. Authorities say the fire broke out Saturday in the Panhandle...
