Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Commissioner Asks Insurers to Help Speed Wildfire Recovery Efforts
Aug 1 2018 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced on Wednesday he is taking actions he says will help protect thousands of wildfire survivors. His first action is a notice requesting insurers to expedite claims...
S&P Probes If Reinsurers Are Ready for Another Year of Active Natural Disasters
Aug 1 2018 // After global insured natural catastrophe losses hit record highs in 2017, will reinsurers be able to withstand another year of active natural catastrophes? S&P Global Ratings indicates that while reinsurers are...
FEMA Grows Its Flood Reinsurance Plan with $500 Million Cat Bond
Aug 1 2018 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has secured a reinsurance placement for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that for the first time is directly backed by capital markets investors. FEMA has entered...
Another 2K California Homeowners Eligible for Retrofit Grants
Jul 31 2018 // More than 2,000 homeowners will get free money to retrofit their homes to help them better withstand earthquakes, according to the top official at the California Earthquake Authority. The homeowners were on a waiting list...
Possible Tornado Damages Homes Along Georgia Coast
Jul 31 2018 // Emergency officials say a possible tornado has left a trail of damage on the Georgia coast. No injuries were reported after a funnel cloud was spotted Friday afternoon on Whitemarsh Island, east of Savannah. The Chatham...
Damage in Colorado from Severe Storm Could Include Possible Tornadoes
Jul 31 2018 // Trees and power lines are knocked over and small planes are flipped upside down after a severe storm, which including tornado sightings and hail, moved across the plains of northeastern Colorado. A team from the National...
Northern California Wildfires Threaten 10,000 Homes
Jul 31 2018 // A pair of wildfires tearing through vineyards and brushy hills threatened some 10,000 homes in Northern California on Tuesday. The two fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties had burned seven homes by Monday night...
Frontline Insurance Secures First Cat Bond of $350M for Southeast Storms
Jul 31 2018 // Swiss Re Capital Markets has structured and placed the issuance of $350 million of insurance-linked securities by Frontline Re Ltd. on behalf of Frontline Insurance. The transaction is Frontline’s debut catastrophe...
Northern California Wildfire Rages; More Deaths, Evacuations Reported
Jul 30 2018 // Thousands of dazed evacuees struggled to keep their emotions in check while trying to take care of themselves and their pets as a deadly wildfire in Northern California raged into its fourth day. Anna Noland, 49, was...
Strong Earthquake Hits Indonesia’s Lombok Island, Killing at Least 14 People
Jul 30 2018 // A strong and shallow earthquake early Sunday killed at least 14 people and injured more than 160 on Indonesia’s Lombok island, a popular tourist destination next to Bali, officials said. The quake damaged more than...
Tropical Storm Hits Japan, Heads for Region Still Recovering from Floods
Jul 30 2018 // A tropical storm in Japan disrupted transportation and knocked out power to thousands of homes in its path as it headed west toward a region still recovering from devastating rains earlier this month. At least 16 people...
Texas Seeks Input on Draft of Revisions to Catastrophe Data Call Standards
Jul 27 2018 // Texas insurance regulators have responded to insurer requests for revisions to its standards for catastrophe data calls and is seeking input on the proposed changes. The Texas Department of Insurance said following...
Northern California Wildfire Kills One; Hundreds Evacuate
Jul 27 2018 // At least one person died in a wildfire that swept through Northern California, destroying buildings and forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate late Thursday. The blaze, which killed a bulldozer operator working on fire...
Hartford’s Q2 Results Reflect Big Commercial Lines Gain
Jul 27 2018 // The Hartford reported improved results for the second quarter compared to the same quarter last year, particularly in its commercial lines and group benefits businesses. Overall net income was $582 million in second...
After Recent Historic Floods, Japan Readies for Typhoon Jongdari
Jul 27 2018 // Typhoon Jongdari is set to make landfall on Japan’s mainland this weekend, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to much of a country hit in recent weeks by a deadly heatwave and historic flooding. The typhoon was...
Tornado Confirmed in Eastern Alabama
Jul 26 2018 // The National Weather Service says a tornado toppled trees and damaged homes in Opelika in eastern Alabama. Al.com reports it was an EF-0 tornado with winds of 85 miles per hour that touched down on Saturday evening. No...
Global H1 Insured Natural Disaster Losses 40% Lower than 10-Year Average: Aon
Jul 26 2018 // Global insured losses from natural disasters for the first half were preliminarily estimated at US$21 billion, which is 40 percent lower than the 10-year average of US$35 billion and 19 percent lower than the 18-year...
Extreme Weather in Europe and Asia Sparks Wildfires, Floods
Jul 26 2018 // Extreme weather that’s gripping northern Europe and parts of Asia may persist through early August, prolonging a deadly heatwave that’s parched crops and sparked devastating forest fires. Temperatures have...
California Governor Taking PG&E Closer to Fire Law Changes
Jul 25 2018 // California utility giants PG&E Corp. and Edison International are one step closer to changing a state law that has exposed them to billions of dollars in wildfire liabilities. Late Tuesday, California Gov. Jerry Brown...
Flood Model Development Helps Hiscox Re & ILS Enter U.S. Flood Protection Market
Jul 25 2018 // Less than 12 percent of U.S. homeowners have a flood insurance policy, despite the fact that flooding is the country’s most common natural disaster, said Katy Sivyer, underwriter for North America and the Caribbean...
