Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Natural Catastrophes Drive Global Insured Losses to $31B in H1: Swiss Re’s Sigma
Aug 18 2016 // Global insured losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disasters during the first half of 2016 reached US$31 billion, or 44 percent of total economic losses of US$71 billion, according to a report issued by Swiss...
Tropical Storm Fiona, 6th Storm of 2016, Forms in Central Tropical Atlantic
Aug 18 2016 // Tropical Storm Fiona, which formed more than 900 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands, is forecast to track across the open Atlantic for at least the next five days, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Fiona, the...
South Carolina Approves Updated RMS North Atlantic Hurricane Models
Aug 18 2016 // Versions of global catastrophe risk management firm RMS’ North Atlantic Hurricane Models have been approved by South Carolina’s Department of Insurance for the purpose of residential rate filings. Approval for...
Oklahoma Geological Survey Studying Injection Well/Earthquake Connection
Aug 17 2016 // The Oklahoma Geological Survey is studying the relationship between seismic activity and wastewater injection wells with a survey in the Arbuckle formation. Sensors will be placed into several injection wells in the...
Reinsurers May Reassess Cat Exposures When Normal Claims Levels Return: S&P
Aug 17 2016 // Most global reinsurers have been able to maintain underwriting discipline despite the ongoing soft market, but there is a danger that their profits could be hit if the current benign period of natural catastrophes returns...
Family of Washington Man Killed by Tree Toppled in Windstorm Sues
Aug 16 2016 // The family of a Washington state man who was killed during an intense windstorm when a tree fell on his car has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the developer of the project where the tree was located. Jamie Fay was...
Palomar Specialty Launches New Earthquake Product in Missouri
Aug 16 2016 // Palomar Specialty Insurance Co. has launched a new residential earthquake insurance product called Flex Choice for residents of Missouri. Flex Choice allows consumers to customize their residential earthquake coverage to...
Another Mag 4.0 Earthquake Reported in Northwest Oklahoma
Aug 15 2016 // The U.S. Geological Survey reports a 4.0 magnitude earthquake in northwestern Oklahoma. The USGS says the quake was recorded at 12:27 a.m. 12 miles northeast of Helena, about 85 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. There have...
Wildfire Destroys More than 100 Homes in Northern California
Aug 15 2016 // A wildfire stuck a Northern California town still recovering from a massive fire nearly a year ago, destroying more than 100 homes and forcing thousands to flee, authorities said Monday. Gusts kicked up flames on Sunday...
Court Absolves Twitter of Liability for Terrorists’ Tweets
Aug 15 2016 // Twitter Inc. won a court ruling that it can’t be held responsible for the so-called Islamic State’s use of the social network to spread propaganda that may have led to the death of an American in Amman,...
Weather Services Classifies Storm Near Wyoming Town as Tornado
Aug 12 2016 // The National Weather Service has classified the windstorm that damaged 16 homes near Gillette last weekend as a tornado. The Gillette News Record reported that the weather service says the EF-1 tornado with wind speeds...
4.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Central Oklahoma
Aug 11 2016 // The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake that rattled central Oklahoma on Aug. 10 had a preliminary magnitude of 4.0. It struck shortly after 6 a.m. with an epicenter in Luther, about 23 miles northeast of Oklahoma...
Atlantic Could See 8 More Hurricanes Before Season Ends
Aug 11 2016 // The Atlantic basin will see the most named storms since the 2012 season, the year Sandy crippled the U.S. East Coast, with five to eight of those strengthening into hurricanes by Nov. 30, the National Oceanic and...
Group Seeks to Make New Orleans House into Hurricane Katrina Memorial
Aug 10 2016 // A house that was flooded by Hurricane Katrina could become a memorial to the catastrophic storm that nearly wiped New Orleans off the map 11 years ago. The city planning commission will consider a request by the group...
Oregon University Confidently Building $50M Center in Tsunami Zone
Aug 8 2016 // Oregon State University is moving ahead with plans to build a $50 million expansion to house its marine science initiative in a tsunami inundation zone in Newport despite warnings from a state geologist that the site could...
Ports in Japan, China and U.S. Face Highest Risk from Natural Catastrophes: RMS
Aug 8 2016 // Ports in Japan, China and the U.S. face the greatest financial risk from natural disasters because of their vulnerable locations and increasing cargo volumes, a risk-management firm said. Nagoya, Japan, leads all ports...
Utah Law Enables Authorities to Crash Drones at Wildfires
Aug 8 2016 // Utah’s governor has signed into law a measure that makes the state the first to let authorities jam drone signals and crash the devices specifically for flying too close to wildfires. Republican Gov. Gary...
Planning for the Worst: Terrorism and Workplace Violence
Aug 8 2016 // Several recent manmade events, including the attack at Pulse nightclub in Florida and the Belgium airport terrorist bombing, highlight the vulnerability of the workplace. Workplace violence costs employers more than $120...
Northeast Drought, Wildfire Risk Could Last Through October
Aug 8 2016 // The drought that has taken hold in the Northeast, from Maine to Pennsylvania, is being driven by a second year of below-average rainfall. Though not as dire as the West Coast drought of five-years running, the dry, hot...
Florida’s Homeowners Choice Secures Nearly $1B in Reinsurance
Aug 8 2016 // Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance Co. Inc., a Florida-based provider of homeowners insurance, has completed its reinsurance program for the 2016-17 reinsurance year, which runs from June 1, 2016, through...
