Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
North Dakota Tornado Tears Through Oil Patch, Injures 9, Destroys Trailers
May 28 2014 // Investigators headed to western North Dakota on May 27 to assess the strength of a tornado that injured nine people, including a 15-year-old girl who suffered critical injuries, and damaged or destroyed 15 trailers at a...
Technology Changing Perceptions of Tornadoes, Damages
May 28 2014 // Experts say that advances in technology, particularly social media, are changing how people watch for severe weather and how quickly images of the damage can be shared. John Robinson, the warning coordinator for the...
Cause of Arizona Wildfire Under Investigation
May 28 2014 // A team of investigators from the U.S. Forest Service’s law enforcement wing worked Tuesday to determine the cause of an Arizona wildfire between Flagstaff and Sedona, relying in part on dozens of tips from...
Arkansas Governor: $68.7M in Damage Claims Following Tornadoes
May 27 2014 // The office of Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe says $68.7 million in damage claims have been filed for individual and commercial entities in Faulkner, Pulaski, Randolph and White Counties following the April 27 tornadoes. The...
Alaska Wildfire Grows After Evacuations
May 27 2014 // Rain forecast this week in Alaska may help crews gain control over a massive wildfire that forced dozens of people to flee to shelters and move some of their animals to safety at rodeo grounds. The Funny River Fire in the...
Tsunami Debris Skiff Found On Washington Coast
May 23 2014 // More than three years after the tsunami hit Japan, evidence of the disaster continues to haunt the West Coast where residents know they also are vulnerable. A skiff that was once used by someone near Sendai washed ashore...
Rural Eastern Idaho Visited by Small Tornado
May 23 2014 // Authorities say a small tornado in a rural area of eastern Idaho caused no damage or injuries. The National Weather Service says the twister touched down at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday about 10 miles northwest of American Falls...
NOAA: Near- Or Above-Normal Central Pacific Hurricane Season
May 22 2014 // Climate conditions point to a near-normal or above-normal hurricane season in the Central Pacific Basin this year with patterns possibly affected by an El Niño weather pattern, NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane...
Lloyd’s U.S. Chief on Board with Climate Change
May 22 2014 // Despite risking offense to non-believers, Hank Watkins didn’t hesitate when he was asked if climate change was upon us. Watkins, president of Lloyd’s America, talked about an extensive report Lloyd’s of...
Dramatic Increase in Oklahoma Wildfires Causing Concern
May 22 2014 // Data from the Oklahoma Forestry Services shows that wildfires in Oklahoma so far this month have burned more than sixty times the average recent acreage. The Oklahoman reports that since May 2005, the state has averaged...
Colorado Bracing for Possibility of More Storms, Tornadoes
May 22 2014 // Meteorologists say six tornadoes touched down east of Denver on Wednesday and more spring thunderstorms are expected Thursday along the Front Range and eastern Colorado. No significant damage was reported from the twisters...
Firefighters battle Arizona wildfire, Now More Than 7.5 Square Miles
May 22 2014 // A wildfire that started in a scenic canyon snaked toward Flagstaff on Thursday, prompting residents of outlying areas to prepare to flee and blanketing the city in smoke. The human-caused Slide Fire started Tuesday and had...
NOAA Forecasts Near-or-Below Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season
May 22 2014 // In its 2014 Atlantic hurricane season outlook issued today, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a near-normal or below-normal season. NOAA said the main driver of this year’s outlook is the...
Louisianans Get Tax Holiday to Prep for Hurricane Season
May 21 2014 // This weekend, Louisiana residents looking to begin preparing for the 2014 hurricane season can store up emergency supplies with a little gift from the state. Flashlights, batteries, portable generators and other supplies...
FEMA Mobile Hospital Opens in Tornado-Torn Mississippi City
May 21 2014 // The National Mobile Disaster Hospital has opened in a Mississippi city where the local hospital was heavily damaged by an April 28 tornado. It opened Monday in Louisville, and will be used until Winston Medical Center is...
Opinion: 1 Year Later, Moore Is Study in Resilience
May 20 2014 // One year ago today, a deadly EF5 tornado ripped through Moore, Okla., making it the third most violent storm in less than 15 years to pummel the small city, which was struck by an EF5 tornado in 1999, and an EF4 in...
Forecaster: 2 Major Hurricanes Possible in Upcoming Season
May 20 2014 // The upcoming Atlantic hurricane session will be one with a higher chance for tropical development close to the U.S. coast, according to the latest expert forecast. At the same time, there should be below normal tropical...
Museum in D.C. Features Florida University’s Hurricane Simulator
May 20 2014 // Florida International University’s 12-fan “Wall of Wind” hurricane simulator is on display at the National Building Museum in Washington. The “Designing for Disasters” exhibit explores new...
U.S. Report: Climate Change Here, Deal With It
May 19 2014 // Climate change is in the here and now, according to a massive report issued earlier this month. The White House’s National Climate Assessment report is part of President Barack Obama’s effort to prepare the...
Policyholders File Claims, Get Payments for California Quake
May 19 2014 // The California Earthquake Authority reported it has paid numerous claims for damage to homes that sustained “relatively minor damage” from the magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck La Habra on March 28. Most CEA...
