Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oregon Wineries and Vineyards Seek $100M from PacifiCorp for Wildfire Smoke Damage
May 31 2024 // Dozens of Oregon wineries and vineyards have sued PacifiCorp over the deadly 2020 wildfires that ravaged the state, alleging that the utility’s decision to not turn off power during the Labor Day windstorm...
Kentucky Families Struggling After Being Hit Second Time by Tornadoes
May 30 2024 // BARNSLEY, Ky. (AP) — Devin Johnson’s life was uprooted for a second time when a tornado flattened his home over the Memorial Day weekend — on the same lot in Kentucky where another storm left him homeless in...
Property-Catastrophe Reinsurance Rates Drop by 5% at June Renewals: Howden Re
May 30 2024 // Property-catastrophe rates saw some moderating trends during the June 1 reinsurance renewals, with average risk-adjusted rates-on-line decreasing by 5% within a typical range of -7.5% to -2.5%, according to Howden Re, the...
32.7M Homes at Risk of Hurricane Damage, CoreLogic Report Shows
May 30 2024 // More than 32.7 million residential properties from Texas to Maine are at risk of moderate or severe damage sustained from hurricane-force winds, a new report shows. The large number of at-risk homes in CoreLogic’s...
Man Accused of Starting Wildfire Near Arizona-California Border
May 29 2024 // A Yuma man has been arrested for allegedly starting a wildfire in a national wildlife preserve in southwest Arizona near the California border, according to authorities. Yuma County Sheriff’s officials said...
Kentucky, Alabama Towns Dealing with Tornado Damage, Florida Feeling Record Heat
May 29 2024 // The latest community left with shattered homes and no power was the tiny Kentucky town of Charleston, which took a direct hit Sunday night from a tornado that the governor said appeared to be on the ground for 40 miles (64...
Texas Panhandle Prepares for State’s Next Big Wildfire
May 28 2024 // LUBBOCK — Spring rains have revived much of the green grass covering stretches of plains in the Texas Panhandle — the same land that, just three months ago, was black from fire and ash after wildfires burned more than...
Tornado, Winds Again Pound Kentucky, Leaving 5 Deaths, Heavy Damage
May 28 2024 // The same weather system that spawned deadly tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas also killed five people in western Kentucky and left hundreds of properties damaged. Local news reports said that people died in Mercer...
Iowa Wind Farm Hit by Tornado, Resulting in Rare Destruction of Turbines
May 24 2024 // OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A wind farm in southwest Iowa suffered a direct hit from a powerful tornado that crumpled five of the massive, power-producing towers, including one that burst into flames. But experts say...
After Wildfire, Hawaii Fire Crews Take Stock of Their Ability to Communicate in a Crisis
May 24 2024 // Fire departments across the state are reevaluating their emergency communication capabilities after the Maui wildfires, when the vulnerability of the island’s cellular network — and a lack of advanced communication...
Tornado Devastates Iowa Town, Killing Multiple People
May 23 2024 // GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Multiple people died Tuesday and at least a dozen were injured when a powerful tornado tore through a small Iowa town, carving a bleak landscape of destroyed homes and businesses, shredded trees,...
NOAA Chimes in With Prediction of Above-Average Atlantic Hurricane Season
May 23 2024 // The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today predicted an 85% chance of an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, with up to 25 named storms. “The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected...
Containment on Arizona Wind-Driven Wildfire Grows
May 22 2024 // Roughly 200 firefighters continued to battle a wildfire in Arizona that quickly grew to more than 14,000 acres. Firefighters have kept the Wildcat Fire size from growing over the past day, but extremely low humidity, warm...
Hawaii Outlines Efforts to Prevent Another Devastating Wildfire Ahead of a Dry Season
May 21 2024 // As Maui continues to recover from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, Hawaii officials are looking at preventing another similar disaster ahead of what is expected to be a dry, fire-prone season, Gov. Josh...
Arizona Wildfire Growing Amid Windy Conditions
May 20 2024 // A wildfire has led the U.S. Forest Service to shut down a portion of the Tonto National Forest has grown to more than 14,000 acres. The Wildcat Fire increased in size because of windy weather conditions Sunday, prompting...
Houston Windstorm Causes Preliminary Economic Loss of $5-7B: AccuWeather
May 20 2024 // The destructive windstorm that blew out windows in downtown Houston and left hundreds of thousands of southeast Texas residents without power caused upwards of $5-7 billion in total damage and economic loss, according to...
Hawaii Study: Nearly 75% of Wildfire Survey Participants Have Respiratory Issues
May 20 2024 // A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health, and...
Wildfire Risk
May 20 2024 // While the overall number of wildfires per year is declining, the increasing size and intensity of fires have led to more property damage than ever before. The average fire size has tripled over the past 30 years, according...
Wildfires Could Affect Over Half of Canada’s Oil Sands Output: Report
May 17 2024 // More than half of the oil sands production from Canada could be impacted if the wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia worsen, Rystad Energy said in a report on Thursday. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Canada is one of the...
Greater Chance of Major Hurricane on East Coast This Year, Less in Gulf, Scientist Says
May 17 2024 // Multiple computer models from forecasting organizations across the globe have predicted a very active hurricane season starting next month, spelling trouble for Florida and much of the Eastern United States. The models...
