Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Moody’s Index Aims to Measure Economic Impact of Terrorism
Oct 13 2015 // Can the impact of terrorism on economic growth be measured? Moody’s Investors Service has constructed a terrorism index to quantify the hit to gross domestic product, government spending, investment and borrowing...
California Bill Requiring Earthquake Reports on Water Infrastructure Signed
Oct 9 2015 // California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed into law a plan to require regional water-management officials to report the vulnerability of their water systems to an earthquake. Senate Bill 664, authored by Sen. Bob...
Typhoon Mujigae Hits So. China; Strongest Cyclone to Hit Region: AIR Worldwide
Oct 9 2015 // Typhoon Mujigae – also called Kabayan – made landfall in China’s Guangdong Province on October 4 with reported wind speeds up to 135 miles per hour (217 kilometers per hour) in some locations. Mujigae quickly...
California Wildfire Claims Top $1B as Peak Season Begins: Report
Oct 8 2015 // A report forecasts claims from two California wildfires last month will exceed $1 billion. Wildfires in 2015 have caused more damage and financial loss in the U.S. than in any other year since 2007, according to the...
Karen Clark & Company Updates RiskInsight Modeling Platform
Oct 7 2015 // Software product and consulting service provider Karen Clark & Company (KCC) has released RI4, an update to the RiskInsight open loss modeling platform. The update includes enhanced global mapping capabilities, more...
Agent Develops Coverage to Fill Gaps in Traditional Wind Insurance
Oct 6 2015 // Between deductibles, excluded losses, and difficulty accessing business interruption coverage, a business suffering hurricane losses can take a big out-of-pocket economic hit even if it has insurance. There is a disconnect...
Underinsurance of Property Is Growing Global Challenge: Swiss Re Report
Oct 5 2015 // The underinsurance of property risk – particularly natural catastrophe risks – has risen steadily over the past 40 years, even though claims payments have increased significantly during that period, according to Swiss...
Wyoming Man and His Insurers to Pay $2.9M for 2012 Wildfire
Oct 5 2015 // A man who accidentally started a 2012 wildfire that burned over a mountain and threatened the town of Jackson has agreed to a $2.9 million payment under a legal settlement. James G. Anderson Jr., 79, will be responsible...
Oregon Office Building Will Give Tenants Earthquake Warning
Oct 5 2015 // A Portland, Ore., office building will be able to warn tenants when an earthquake is about to strike. KGW-TV reported that the Radiator building is equipped with an earthquake early warning system. Sensors buried below the...
Southern California City Unveils Mapping Tool for Wildfire Hazards
Oct 2 2015 // As fire season ramps up, San Diego County, Calif. has unveiled a new online interactive map that allows residents to search out wildfire dangers in specific areas. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported he digital tool...
RMS: Slow-Moving Hurricane Joaquin Expected to Drive Coastal Flooding
Oct 2 2015 // Even though Hurricane Joaquin is likely to remain offshore in the Atlantic, it is battering parts of the Carribbean with Category 4 strength winds and will likely drive coastal flooding and heavy rainfall along the eastern...
Insurance Company Investors Assess Hurricane Joaquin Damage
Oct 2 2015 // The hurricane strengthening off the U.S. East Coast is buffeting insurance providers as investors assess the possible damages. Losses began to accelerate as Joaquin grew into a Category 4 hurricane, with top winds...
Update: Category 4 Joaquin, After Pounding Bahamas, May Bypass East Coast
Oct 2 2015 // While forecasters haven’t ruled out a U.S. East Coast strike by the Category 4 hurricane pounding the Bahamas with heavy rains and raging surf, more projections are showing Joaquin will miss, the National Hurricane...
York Risk Services Group Acquires Mississippi-Based Quick Cat
Oct 2 2015 // York Risk Services Group, a provider of claims management, managed care and risk management services, has acquired Brandon, Miss.- based Quick Cat LLC. Quick Cat provides commercial daily and catastrophe claims services on...
Energy Companies Are Preparing for Possibility of Joaquin Hitting NYC Area
Oct 1 2015 // U.S. energy companies said on Wednesday they were preparing for the possibility that Hurricane Joaquin could hit the New York City area early next week, potentially following the destructive course of Hurricane Sandy in...
Eastern U.S. Soaked by Rain as Hurricane Joaquin Gains Force Near Bahamas
Oct 1 2015 // The weather outlook for the eastern U.S. is starting to resemble the plot of a 1970s disaster movie in which everything that could go wrong did. From the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, the coastal states have been soaked...
Major Hurricane Joaquin Could Hit East Coast
Oct 1 2015 // Joaquin became a major hurricane as it tears toward the Bahamas and government forecasters said they can’t rule out a strike on the U.S. East Coast as early as Sunday. The 10th storm of the Atlantic season had top...
UPDATE: Joaquin Now a Major Hurricane; Nearing Bahamas
Oct 1 2015 // Joaquin is now classified as a “major hurricane,” according to the most recent bulletin from the National Hurricane Center. The storm’s “maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph (195 km/h) with...
Update: Joaquin’s U.S. Path Unclear But East Coast Already Under Flood Watch
Sep 30 2015 // Joaquin is forecast to become a major hurricane by Saturday as it strengthens in the Atlantic, triggering hurricane warnings and watches for the Bahamas. Its course after crossing the island chain is still uncertain, the...
Oklahoma School District Looking to Repair Earthquake Damage
Sep 30 2015 // Structural engineers are assessing the damage caused by a July earthquake at Crescent Public Schools buildings in Oklahoma. The 4.5 magnitude earthquake hit Crescent on July 27. Superintendent Mickey Hart told the Enid...
