Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Property Claim Litigation Bill Passed by the Texas Senate
May 1 2015 // The Texas Senate on April 30 passed a bill aimed at stemming the onslaught of property claim litigation that has been occurring with increasing frequency in the state following natural catastrophes. Advocates of Senate...
2 Lawsuits Over 2013 Arizona Wildfire Dismissed by Judge
May 1 2015 // Two lawsuits filed against Arizona by homeowners whose properties were destroyed by the Yarnell Hill Fire have been dismissed. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge agreed Wednesday with the state’s argument that it...
Indiana Township Gets Tornado Siren with Girl Scout’s Help
Apr 30 2015 // A small township east of Indianapolis has its first tornado siren thanks to the efforts of a Girl Scout. WISH-TV reports the siren was installed April 28 in the Hancock County community of Green Township. The nearest siren...
60K Auto Insurance Claims Expected from April Hailstorms in Texas
Apr 30 2015 // Multiple hailstorms in Texas over the second half of April are expected to result in at least 60,000 auto insurance claims, the Insurance Council of Texas reported. “Hail and windstorm claims are still coming in from...
Catastrophe Bonds Risk Subprime Slice-Up, Swiss Re Says
Apr 30 2015 // Swiss Re, Europe’s second-biggest reinsurer, said regulators should prevent catastrophe bonds from being repackaged like subprime mortgages. “It’s important for traditional players like us and regulators...
AXIS Reports Q1 Operating Income of $136M on Low Catastrophe Losses
Apr 30 2015 // Bermuda-based AXIS Capital Holdings Limited reported net income available to common shareholders for the first quarter of 2015 of $156 million, or $1.54 per diluted common share, compared with $137 million, or $1.24 per...
California Suburban Wildfire Sparked by Power Tool
Apr 29 2015 // Los Angeles fire officials say a brush fire in California that that briefly threatened homes in a heavily populated suburban neighborhood was caused by sparks from a power tool that a homeowner was using to clear...
Hurricane Sandy Judges Demand Clearing of Settlement Roadblocks
Apr 28 2015 // Federal officials and flood insurance companies were chastised by a panel of New York judges for imposing delays on settlements with hundreds of Hurricane Sandy victims who alleged their claims were wrongfully denied or...
Storm Shelter Permit Applications Rise in Moore, Oklahoma
Apr 28 2015 // Applications to build storm shelters have spiked a month after a tornado touched down in Moore, Okla. Moore spokeswoman Deidre Ebrey says officials there have noticed an increase in the number of people applying for storm...
Update: Nepal Says Earthquake Rebuilding to Exceed $10B, Will Take Years
Apr 28 2015 // The cost to rebuild Nepal after its most devastating earthquake in eight decades will exceed $10 billion and take years, Finance Minister Ram S. Mahat said. The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude temblor on April 25 has...
Nepal Earthquake Losses Could Top $2 Billion; Sparse Insurance Coverage
Apr 27 2015 // The earthquake that struck Nepal caused about $2 billion in economic losses in the country, and only a fraction of the cost will be incurred by insurers, according to Kinetic Analysis Corp. Damage in India could cost an...
North Texas Hit with Tornadoes, Large Hail
Apr 27 2015 // The National Weather Service said as many as 12 tornadoes and hail the size of softballs pounded portions of north Texas overnight. The storms turned violent beginning near Rising Star in Eastland County and proceeded...
Seasonal Tornado Forecasts Being Developed by Oklahoma Researchers
Apr 27 2015 // Weather researchers in Oklahoma are working on a method to develop seasonal tornado forecasts that could predict the likelihood of the severe storms weeks in advance. Harold Brooks, senior research scientist at the...
Deadly Quake in Nepal; Aftershocks, Weather Hamper Rescue: AIR Analysis
Apr 27 2015 // As scenes of devastation flashed around the world, the destruction and loss of life from the most severe earthquake to hit Nepal in 80 years has become apparent. Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide said the quake...
Bird Flu ‘Catastrophe’ Growing in Midwest
Apr 24 2015 // Deadly bird flu swelled in the poultry industry in Minnesota and neighboring Wisconsin amid speculation that winds may be carrying virus particles into facilities housing turkeys and chickens. “This is a catastrophe...
California Department of Insurance Approves CEA Rate Reduction
Apr 23 2015 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones approved a statewide rate reduction of 10 percent for earthquake insurance policies issued by the California Earthquake Authority. The reduction is effective Jan. 1, 2016. Jones...
Oklahoma Geologists Also See Earthquake-Injection Well Link
Apr 23 2015 // The Oklahoma Geological Survey said it is “very likely” that most of the state’s recent earthquakes were triggered by the subsurface injection of wastewater from oil and natural gas drilling...
Tornado Damages Dozens of Homes in Ocala
Apr 23 2015 // Authorities say a tornado touched down in an area of north Florida where dozens of homes were damaged by wind and failing trees. The Ocala Star Banner reported that no one was injured but at least a half dozen homes...
Texas Earthquake Swarm Linked to Drilling, Wastewater Injection
Apr 22 2015 // With real-time monitors, scientists have linked a swarm of small earthquakes west of Fort Worth, Texas, to nearby natural gas wells and wastewater injection. In 84 days from November 2013 to January 2014, the area around...
Insurers Declare Catastrophe for Storm Battered Parts of New South Wales
Apr 22 2015 // The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) this morning declared a catastrophe for storm-affected parts of New South Wales [NSW], in particular the Central Coast, Hunter, Greater Sydney Metropolitan and Illawarra...
