Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Earthquakes Lawsuit Against Oklahoma Energy Companies Dismissed
Apr 17 2017 // A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against three oil and gas companies over Oklahoma’s ongoing earthquakes. The lawsuit, filed last year on behalf of Sierra Club Oklahoma, asked for a reduction of production...
Managing Inland Flood Risk with Catastrophe Models
Apr 17 2017 // Flood risk is ubiquitous. In any given week, a storm with the potential to produce flooding is occurring somewhere in the United States. The transfer of flood risk from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to the...
This Year Already One of Oklahoma’s Most Active for Wildfires
Apr 17 2017 // Oklahoma Forestry Services officials say 2017 is already among the most active years on record for wildfires. The agency has responded to more than 800 wildfires so far that resulted in more than 450,000 acres of burnt...
Aon: Insured Losses Likely to Exceed $2B from March Storms, Wildfires
Apr 17 2017 // Severe weather in March led to significant damage in the central and eastern United States, racking up more than $2 billion in insured losses, according to a report published by Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfield’s...
Trump’s Proposed Cuts to NASA and NOAA Could Impact Forecasting, Modeling
Apr 13 2017 // Funding cuts proposed in a White House budget that has been on the table for months spook some experts who are concerned that the ability to do everything from model changes in the climate to forecast the day-to-day...
Wildfire in Georgia Wildlife Refuge Grows to 6,000 Acres, Spares Communities
Apr 13 2017 // A wildfire sparked by lightning in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is spreading through government-owned swamp and forestland, having burned more than 9 square miles (23.3 square km) near the Georgia-Florida state...
Indiana Museum Exhibit Explains Why Natural Disasters Occur
Apr 12 2017 // Natural disasters can strike at any time, often without warning, and devastate cities, regions, states and countries. Nature Unleashed, a new exhibit at the Indiana State Museum, aims to help Hoosiers understand why...
Florida Gov Declares Emergency As More Than 100 Wildfires Burn Across State
Apr 12 2017 // The Florida Forest Service says more than 100 active wildfires are burning across the state right now. The Tampa Bay Times reports 25 of them are scorching more than 100 acres each. Since February, wildfires have swept...
Insurance Costs for Windstorm Egon Rise to €234M ($243M): PERILS
Apr 12 2017 // The revised estimate of property insurance losses for Windstorm Egon, which hit France and Germany on Jan. 12-13, 2017, is €234 million ($243 million), according to PERILS AG, the independent Zurich-based company that...
Oklahoma, British Professors Studying Terrorism Prevention for Buildings
Apr 11 2017 // David McIlhatton knows terrorism cannot be prevented. But measures to keep people safe often deter people from visiting sites or cities. “We don’t want a strong physical (security) presence because that...
U.S. Fund Payouts to Terrorism Victims to Reach $1 Billion
Apr 11 2017 // The Justice Department said it has made payments totaling more than $800 million from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund to compensate thousands of U.S. victims of international acts of terrorism by state...
Applicants Sought for Boards of Texas FAIR Plan, Windstorm Association
Apr 11 2017 // The Texas Department of Insurance is looking for people to serve on the board that governs the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan, which provides residential property insurance in underserved areas where...
Six Months Later, Hurricane Flood Victims Still Recovering in Virginia
Apr 11 2017 // In the months since Hurricane Matthew, Dawn Sawyer has watched her 9-year-old, Sam, bite his nails down to “nubs.” She’s never seen him do that before. As Sam remembers it, he slept right through the...
Congress Sends Bill to Boost Weather Research to President’s Desk
Apr 11 2017 // The National Weather Service would have to boost research – including some from private companies – to improve forecasts and storm warnings under a bill headed to President Donald trump’s desk. Lawmakers said the...
Looks Like Below-Average Atlantic Hurricane Season, Say Colorado Forecasters
Apr 11 2017 // Colorado State University hurricane researchers are predicting a slightly below-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2017, citing the potential development of El Niño as well as recent anomalous cooling in the tropical...
North Carolina Requests Nearly $1B from Congress for Hurricane Recovery
Apr 10 2017 // North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is seeking nearly $1 billion from Congress to help North Carolina counties still recovering from Hurricane Matthew more than six months after it caused massive inland flooding and killed 28...
Oklahoma Earthquakes Lawsuit Against Energy Companies Dismissed
Apr 7 2017 // A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against three oil and gas companies over Oklahoma’s ongoing earthquakes. The lawsuit, filed last year on behalf of Sierra Club Oklahoma, asked for a reduction of production...
Missouri Tornado Damaged School, Fire House
Apr 7 2017 // A tornado with wind speeds of up to 120 mph caused damage to a fire station, elementary school and several other buildings in southwest Missouri, the National Weather Service said. Meteorologist Mike Griffin said the...
U.S. Weather in March to Cost Insurers More than $2 Billion: Aon
Apr 7 2017 // Four severe weather outbreaks in the U.S. throughout March led to extensive damage in the central and eastern parts of the country, costing the insurance industry in excess of US$2.0 billion, according to a report...
Tornado Confirmed in Mississippi
Apr 7 2017 // The National Weather Service confirms that a tornado struck southwest Mississippi on Monday. A survey showed that a twister with top winds of 110 mph (175 kph) touched down just inside Franklin County at 12:57 a.m. It...
