Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
PG&E Sued for Ad Spending Instead of on Preventing Events Like the California Wildfire
Dec 11 2018 // PG&E Corp. was accused of putting its “reputation above public safety” in a lawsuit alleging that the power company spends too much on advertising and not enough on preventing devastating Northern...
Online Sleuthing Skills Help in Wake of California Wildfire
Dec 11 2018 // They have become known as the Angels of Paradise. But there is nothing ethereal about them. They are online sleuths who know how to find people, and they have been putting their skills to use in the aftermath of...
Low Earthquake Insurance Take-up in Alaska Due to High Cost?
Dec 11 2018 // With Alaska’s history of earthquakes, you might assume most homeowners have earthquake insurance. That’s not the case, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Only about 15 percent of Alaska homeowners buy...
The Race to Recovery: The Alaska Earthquake of Nov 30, 2018
Dec 10 2018 // This post is part of a series of sponsored by CoreLogic. A magnitude (M) 7.0 earthquake struck north of Anchorage, Alaska, on November 30, 2018. Located along the Ring of Fire which sees 81% of the world’s largest...
Damage from Massive Alaska Earthquake Evident at Military Base
Dec 10 2018 // Last week’s magnitude 7.0 earthquake near Anchorage caused multiple problems at the sprawling Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, including damage to steel frameworks, ceilings, and sprinkler and heating systems,...
BHSI Withdraws from Hong Kong Employees’ Compensation Terrorism Pool
Dec 10 2018 // Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co. (BHSI) announced that it has withdrawn from the Hong Kong Employees’ Compensation (EC) terrorism pool, effective Dec. 1, 2018. BHSI said it is now the first insurer in Hong...
South Carolina to Increase Hurricane Florence Aid Request to $435M
Dec 10 2018 // South Carolina’s congressional delegation will be able to ask for more funds to provide relief following Hurricane Florence, thanks to a move by the state’s governor. In a letter obtained Saturday by The...
Arkansas, Oklahoma Still Recovering From Last Week’s Tornadoes
Dec 7 2018 // Oklahoma and Arkansas continue recovery efforts following a series of tornadoes that ripped through the region last week. An EF2 tornado in Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller area destroyed homes, boat docks and buildings....
Deadly California ‘Firenado’ Explained in New Study
Dec 7 2018 // A rare fire tornado that raged during this summer’s deadly Carr Fire in Northern California was created by a combination of scorching weather, erratic winds and an ice-topped cloud that towered miles into the...
Aon Cites Need for Mitigation as Insured Wildfire Losses Top $10B for Second Year
Dec 7 2018 // Total aggregated economic losses for the wildfires that have burned across Northern and Southern California throughout the month are expected to minimally exceed $10 billion, while insurance claims payouts for wildfires...
Modeler: Insured Losses from Camp Wildfire in California at $6B to $9B
Dec 6 2018 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimates that industry insured losses from the Camp Fire in Northern California will be between $6 billion and $9 billion, and taken together with the Woolsey fire in Southern...
California Attorney General Brought into PG&E Wildfire Probe
Dec 6 2018 // California Attorney General Xavier Becerra was asked by a federal judge to weigh in on whether reckless operation of power lines by PG&E Corp. in connection with deadly Northern California wildfires would constitute a...
2 Tornadoes Cause Damage in Alabama
Dec 6 2018 // The National Weather Service says it has confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in Alabama last weekend. The emergency management director for Dothan and Houston County, Chris Judah, says a weak twister hit Dothan early...
Farmers Expects $2.1B in Claims from California Wildfires
Dec 5 2018 // Farmers Insurance expects $2.1 billion in claims from the California wildfires in November. The Los Angeles, Calif.-based carrier said it has so far received more than 9,000 claims combined for the Camp Fire in Northern...
Giant Hole Created by Hurricane Michael Threatens Housing, Cemetery in Florida Town
Dec 5 2018 // Hurricane Michael created a giant hole in a north Florida town that is threatening a nearby cemetery and public housing duplexes. The Tallahassee Democrat reported Sunday that the October storm caused a crater along a...
Florida Insurance Agents Improvise to Stay Connected During Hurricane Michael Recovery
Dec 5 2018 // The page has finally turned on the tumultuous 2018 hurricane season, but for the agents who live and work in the Florida Panhandle the story isn’t over – personally or professionally. “We all still feel like...
North Carolina Legislature Finalizes $300M Hurricane Relief Spending
Dec 4 2018 // Nearly $300 million in additional state spending to address North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Florence received quick and unanimous approval from the state legislature and the governor. The House voted...
Schools Open 3 Weeks After Northern California Wildfire
Dec 4 2018 // Monday marked a return to school and some semblance of routine for thousands of children who lost their homes to a deadly wildfire in Northern California. Schools in Butte County have been closed since Nov. 8, when the...
3 Oil Companies Settle in Class-Action Suit over Oklahoma Earthquakes
Dec 4 2018 // Three oil companies have reached a settlement with plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit over damaging earthquakes in central Oklahoma. The companies — Spess Oil Co., Equal Energy US Inc. and Fairfield Oil and Gas Corp....
Morgan Stanley: State Farm, Allstate Largest Insurers Exposed to Alaska Quake
Dec 3 2018 // State Farm, Allstate and USAA have the lion’s share of exposure from the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Alaska on Nov. 30, according to a Morgan Stanley Research brief put out on Monday. The epicenter was...
