Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
2016 Wildfire Season Not Likely to Top Record-Setting 2015 Season
Nov 8 2016 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. Trajectory Shows Fewer Fires and Fewer Total Acres Burned in 2016 In 2015, the amount of area consumed by wildfires in the U.S. topped 10 million acres for the first...
Removal of Hurricane Debris in Savannah, Georgia Could Go Into 2017
Nov 8 2016 // Southeast Georgia residents are still feeling the effects of Hurricane Matthew of debris removal that may last well into next year. The Savannah Morning News reports that city officials in Savannah are asking residents to...
Louisiana Ag Department: Wildfire Risk High in State
Nov 7 2016 // Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain is warning Louisiana residents that the state’s wildfire risk remains higher than normal because of dry conditions. The state agriculture department says 19 parishes have enacted...
Washington Governor Wants Coordinated Earthquake, Tsunami Response Plan
Nov 7 2016 // Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is directing several state agencies to work together to prepare for a coordinated plan in case of a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. Friday’s directive creates a subcabinet group of the...
1.8 Million Western U.S. Homes at Extreme or High Wildfire Risk, Report Shows
Nov 7 2016 // Data provider CoreLogic’s new annual Wildfire Risk report designates 1.8 million single-family homes across 13 Western states as being at “Extreme” or “High” risk of wildfire damage,...
Hurricane Matthew Leaves its Mark on Southeast
Nov 7 2016 // It’s been just over a month since Hurricane Matthew ravaged the Southeast coast but the insurance industry’s job of responding to the devastation and assessing the total cost of damage from the storm is far...
FEMA Extends Deadline for Hurricane Hermine NFIP Claims
Nov 7 2016 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the deadline for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders to file claims from Hurricane Hermine. “After productive discussions between...
Talbot Underwriting Launches $50M Consortium to Cover NBCR Terrorism
Nov 4 2016 // Talbot Underwriting Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Validus Holdings Ltd., announced the launch of a Lloyd’s led consortium for nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological (NBCR) terrorism. The facility will...
North Carolina Gov Wants Special Session on Hurricane Matthew Relief
Nov 3 2016 // North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said Tuesday he expects to call lawmakers to a special session next month on Hurricane Matthew relief for eastern North Carolina, looking to Congress for supplemental aid first and...
Georgia Orders Property Insurers to Report Hurricane Matthew Claims Data
Nov 2 2016 // The Georgia Department of Insurance is ordering all insurers operating in the state to report claims information related to Hurricane Matthew. The storm, which began its path through Georgia starting Oct. 7, is estimated...
Colonial Pipeline Explosion in Alabama Injures 7, Causes 2 Wildfires
Nov 2 2016 // An explosion along the Colonial Pipeline in rural Alabama injured at least seven workers Monday not far from where the line burst and leaked thousands of gallons of gasoline last month, authorities said. The blast, which...
Recent Kansas Tornadoes Caused $500K in Damage, Official Says
Oct 28 2016 // An official says two tornadoes that recently touched down in eastern Saline County, Kansas, caused an estimated $500,000 in damage. The Salina Journal reports that Emergency Management Director Hannah Stambaugh told county...
AIR Worldwide Comments on Central Italy’s 2 Powerful Earthquakes
Oct 28 2016 // The two powerful earthquakes that hit central Italy on Oct. 26 are considered aftershocks of the deadly Aug. 24, M6.2 earthquake that occurred near Teramo, which about 50 miles south-southeast of the latest temblors,...
Coastal Wetlands Found to Reduce Hurricane Property Damage by 10%-30%
Oct 27 2016 // Coastal wetlands provide important natural protection during hurricanes. How much? Natural habitats reduced property damage by about $625 million in the Northeast during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, a new study supported by...
FEMA Extends Filing Deadline for Florida NFIP Claims from Hurricane Hermine
Oct 27 2016 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the deadline for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders to file claims from Hurricane Hermine. “After productive discussions between...
Upcoming Mississippi Tornado Season Looks to be ‘Unpredictable’
Oct 26 2016 // Mississippians are preparing for the tornado season to begin in November. The Clarion-Ledger reports forecasters are looking at shifts in weather conditions – such as El Nino and La Nina – as indicators that this...
AIG Increases Property Terrorism Capacity to $1B
Oct 26 2016 // American International Group, Inc. (AIG) has raised its property terrorism insurance limits globally to $1 billion. The larger capacity is available to clients on a stand-alone basis or as expanded limits within...
Foresters Say New Hampshire Drought Has Increased Threat of Wildfires
Oct 26 2016 // Drought conditions are making it harder to fight wildfires and New Hampshire residents should be vigilant about the increased threat, state forestry and fire officials say. Conditions range from abnormally dry to extreme...
1.8 Million Western U.S. Homes at Extreme or High Wildfire Risk, Report Shows
Oct 26 2016 // Things haven’t gone as bad as they could have so far in 2016 coming off last year’s record-setting wildfire season in the Western U.S., according to a report out today detailing wildfire risks to properties in...
Questions Linger Over Trump’s $17M Insurance Payout in 2005 for Florida Club
Oct 26 2016 // Donald Trump says he received a $17 million insurance payment in 2005 for hurricane damage to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach. But The Associated Press has found little evidence of such large-scale damage. Two...
