Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Catastrophes Pushed Homeowners Insurers’ Combined Ratio Above 107 in 2017
Jun 20 2018 // After four years of sub-100 combined ratios for the U.S. homeowners insurers, the segment saw its combined ratio deteriorate to 107.1 in 2017 as a result of numerous catastrophes, according to an A.M. Best report. The new...
Hurricane-Proof Home Building Available But Pricey, Slow to Be Adopted
Jun 20 2018 // In a private waterfront resort on the northern tip of Key Largo, nestled between tropical forest and the Caribbean, Eric Soulavy is marketing luxury for the age of climate change: Coastal homes that are all but hurricane...
Survey: Floridians Still Not Adequately Prepared for Hurricane Season
Jun 20 2018 // Just six months after the punishing 2017 season battered the Sunshine State, most Floridians are still not prepared for the potential assault of another hurricane season, according to a survey by the FAIR Foundation. The...
North Carolina City Sued by Residents Over Hurricane Matthew Dam Repairs
Jun 19 2018 // Some homeowners are suing a North Carolina city to get dams that were compromised by Hurricane Matthew repaired. The Fayetteville Observer reported residents from four neighborhoods say the city should rebuild the dams...
4.0 Mag Earthquake and Aftershock Shake Parts of Central Oklahoma
Jun 18 2018 // The U.S. Geological Survey says a 4.0 magnitude earthquake has shaken parts of central Oklahoma, but there were no immediate reports of damage. The USGS says the earthquake was recorded at 3:56 p.m. about 7 miles (12...
Earthquake Hits Japan’s Industrial Heartland, Causing 3 Deaths; Trains, Factories Halted
Jun 18 2018 // Three people were confirmed dead and almost 100 injured after a strong earthquake hit Osaka on Monday morning, rattling one of Japan’s industrial heartlands and halting trains and factories across the region. The...
New Jersey Reminds Residents, Insurance Companies to Prepare for Hurricane Season
Jun 18 2018 // The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance is urging the insurance and banking companies it regulates, as well as New Jersey residents, to prepare now for hurricane season, which officially began June 1. All Garden...
Tornado, or Not? Occupied Truck Lifted During Storm in Iowa
Jun 15 2018 // A northern Iowa man was driving through a storm when his truck was lifted in the air and carried into a farm field. The Globe Gazette reports that 22-year-old Parker Brumm left Rockford on Saturday before the storm became...
California Wildfire Survivor Bills Pass Senate Committee
Jun 15 2018 // Four bills sponsored by the California Department of Insurance that the department believes will strengthen consumer protections for wildfire survivors have passed the Senate Insurance Committee with unanimous, bipartisan...
A Whole New Ballgame: Managing Risk for World Champion Houston Astros
Jun 15 2018 // Monica Rusch’s work was easier when the Houston Astros were losers. She was accustomed to worrying about fans being hit by balls, drunks getting too rowdy, players suffering injuries, thieves breaking into parked...
New Wildfire Erupts Near Ski Resorts, Houses in Colorado
Jun 14 2018 // A wildfire erupted Tuesday in an area of Colorado known for its ski resorts, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,300 homes and marking the latest in a series of blazes that have ignited in the drought-stricken U.S....
Russia World Cup Insurance Premiums Rise on Risks of Terrorism, Hooliganism
Jun 14 2018 // The risk of terror attacks and damage from hooligans has pushed up premiums for businesses and players buying insurance for the soccer World Cup in Russia compared to the previous event in Brazil, brokers and insurers...
Cat Facility CCRIF Welcomes 2 New Members: British Virgin Islands, Montserrat
Jun 14 2018 // CCRIF SPC (formerly the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility) announced that British Virgin Islands and Montserrat have joined the facility and purchased coverage for the 2018/19 policy year, beginning June...
FEMA Staffing Stretched Thin as Hurricane Season Gets Underway
Jun 14 2018 // As Hurricane Irma bore down on Florida last September, the top U.S. disaster response official ordered all hands on deck. With 4,500 Federal Emergency Management Agency staffers already helping survivors of Hurricane...
FEMA Assessing Tornado Damage in Connecticut
Jun 14 2018 // Federal Emergency Management Agency officials on Monday began assessing damage from a tornado and a macroburst that hit Connecticut during severe storms last month, a process that could lead to federal aid. Officials...
Hailstorm Pounds Parts of Colorado Damaging Homes, Cars and Businesses
Jun 14 2018 // An unusual early morning hailstorm pounded parts of Colorado, including Southeast Colorado Springs, Fountain and Fort Carson, with golf and baseball-sized hail damaging homes, cars and businesses, according to the Rocky...
Arizona Launches Driver Safety Campaign for Monsoon Season
Jun 13 2018 // A new safety campaign will remind Arizona drivers stuck in dust storms to pull over, turn off all car lights and wait until visibility is back before hitting the road again. The “pull aside, stay alive”...
Oregon Earthquake Simulation Reveals Dangers
Jun 13 2018 // Researchers at Oregon State University say bridges and roads in the northwestern resort city of Seaside should be prioritized for improvement after a simulation discovered they would have higher mortality rates in an...
Florida Restoration Contractor Arrested Over $140K AOB Fraud Scheme
Jun 13 2018 // A restoration contractor company owner has been arrested over an alleged assignment of benefits (AOB) fraud scheme that impacted 19 homeowners in eight Florida counties and one Texas county, according to a statement from...
Damage from June 6 Texas Hailstorm Estimated at $1B
Jun 12 2018 // Karen Clark & Co. has estimated the June 6 hailstorm that pummeled North Texas will generate around $1 billion in insured losses to residential and commercial properties and automobiles. Baseball sized hail was...
