Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Experts: Steady Rate of Earthquakes in Oklahoma in 2014
Jan 21 2015 // After increasing rapidly over the past three years, the pace of earthquakes in Oklahoma held steady in 2014 at a rate higher than California and far higher than the historic average in Oklahoma. Oklahoma experienced 567...
Texas Windstorm Expert Panel to Discuss Work at Public Meeting
Jan 20 2015 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance expert panel will hold a public meeting on Jan. 28 to inform the public about the progress of the panel’s work, to allow the public to observe the panel discussing its work, and to give...
Earthquake Risk in North Texas Likely to Be Upgraded
Jan 20 2015 // The U.S. Geological Survey is considering raising its risk projections for earthquakes in North Texas. The Dallas area has experienced more than 120 quakes since 2008. The Dallas Morning News reports that USGS will likely...
Catastrophe Bond Issuance Reaches Record Levels: Aon Benfield Report
Jan 16 2015 // Property catastrophe bond issuance for the fourth quarter 2014 stood at USD$2.1 billion across six separate transactions, contributing to a record annual property catastrophe bond issuance of USD$8.0 billion, according to...
Connecticut Issues Consumer Advisory on Earthquake Insurance
Jan 15 2015 // The U.S. Geological Service has reported a series of minor earthquakes in parts of eastern Connecticut this week, including a 2.0-magnitude earthquake Thursday morning near Plainfield, Connecticut. The Weston Observatory...
Record Number of Quakes in Alaska Detected In 2014
Jan 15 2015 // Alaska experienced a busy year underground in 2014, according to experts who record the state’s earthquakes. The Alaska Earthquake Information Center detected 40,686 quakes in the state and bordering parts of Canada,...
Paris Terror Attacks Not Unexpected; Demand for Political Risk Cover Is Up
Jan 14 2015 // Terrorism, security and political risk experts from Willis provided some broad observations about last week’s terror attacks in Paris and how insurance buyers are responding. “The tragic events in Paris are a...
Lowest Insured Losses since 2009: Impact Forecasting Climate and Cat Report
Jan 13 2015 // Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfield’s catastrophe model development team, has released its Annual Global Climate and Catastrophe Report, which evaluates the impact of the natural disaster events that occurred worldwide...
Seismologists Expand Texas Earthquake Study
Jan 12 2015 // Southern Methodist University seismologists are installing more measuring equipment in a Dallas suburb as earthquakes continue to rattle North Texas. More localized seismometers in Irving are “the first step in...
Weather Service: Fewest Tornadoes on Record in Oklahoma in 2014
Jan 12 2015 // Just 16 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma in 2014, which the National Weather Service says is the fewest on record. Oklahoma state climatologist Gary McManus says a combination of factors led to the relative lack of...
Natural Disasters in 2014
Jan 12 2015 // All in all, 2014 was not as bad as it could have been for natural disasters in the United States. Last year closed with fewer tornadoes, a mild hurricane season, lower acreage lost to wildfires, and an overall decline in...
Revised TRIA Law Could Harm Small Insurers, Warns S&P
Jan 11 2015 // Standard & Poor’s offered a note of caution about the reauthorization of the federal terrorism reinsurance program, warning that changes made by Congress to boost co-insurance and deductibles could hurt small...
Officials Confirm Weekend Tornado in Alabama
Jan 9 2015 // The National Weather Service is checking the damage from a weekend of rough weather in Alabama. Officials confirmed Monday that a weak tornado touched down in west Alabama in Hamilton on Saturday evening. A twister with 85...
Senate Passes TRIA; Bill Goes to President Obama’s Desk
Jan 8 2015 // Today the U.S. Senate followed the House and voted overwhelmingly to reauthorize the federal terrorism reinsurance program that had been allowed to lapse. The vote was 93-4 in favor. On Wednesday, the House of...
More Earthquakes in Oklahoma in 2014 than in Past 30 Years
Jan 8 2015 // Officials say Oklahoma had more earthquakes last year than in the past 30 years. The U.S. Geological Survey says 567 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 or greater were registered in Oklahoma, making it the most seismically...
10 Quakes Recorded in North Texas over 2-Day Period
Jan 8 2015 // A cluster of small earthquakes has rattled a Dallas-area city over a two-day period. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the temblors in the Irving area, including two in the morning on Jan. 7. No major damage or injuries...
Renewals See Lower Pricing, Broader Coverage, Reports Guy Carpenter
Jan 7 2015 // Guy Carpenter & Company reports reinsurance pricing fell at the January 1, 2015 renewals in many segments, affecting almost all lines of business and geographies, continuing recent renewal trends. According to Guy...
FEMA Found to Have Overpaid Florida Residents by $177M
Jan 7 2015 // The federal agency that provides grants to states following a major catastrophe is under fire for providing Florida residents an estimated $177 million in funds that should have been covered by private insurers. A recent...
Australian Firefighters Containing Sprawling Wildfire
Jan 7 2015 // Firefighters in southern Australia were winning the battle on Tuesday to contain a sprawling wildfire raging on a 240-kilometer (150-mile) perimeter that has razed 38 homes and left two people in hospitals, officials...
Munich Re’s 2014 Nat Cat Review Highlights Low Loss Levels
Jan 7 2015 // Munich Re’s review of losses caused by natural catastrophes in 2014 confirms that it was indeed another benign year for the re/insurance industry. “The absence of very severe catastrophes and a quiet hurricane...
