Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
What Might Terrorists Do Next?
Feb 24 2014 // The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks created an atmosphere of anxiety and uncertainty. No one knew how many more large-scale attacks were in the pipeline. Might more Mohammad Attas already be in the country making the...
Report Blames ‘Reckless’ Captain for Sinking ‘Bounty’ Off North Carolina Coast in 2012
Feb 24 2014 // A captain’s “reckless decision to sail into the well-forecasted path of Hurricane Sandy” was the probable cause of the sinking of a tall ship off the North Carolina coast in October, 2012, the National...
Arkansas Earthquakes Spawn Lawsuit
Feb 24 2014 // Fourteen families in central Arkansas have filed a lawsuit in connection with a series of earthquakes in Faulkner County that prompted the state in 2011 to ban the use of four natural-gas drilling disposal wells in a large...
Oklahoma, Texas Had Costliest Natural Disasters in 2013: Hartwig
Feb 24 2014 // The Oklahoma tornadoes of May 2013 not only caused significant loss of life but also contributed to its designation last year as the costliest state for natural disaster related insurance payouts, according to the...
California Bill Would Prevent Construction On Faults
Feb 21 2014 // A California Legislator on Friday introduced a bill that would prevent construction on seismic fissures. Senate Bill 1155 would mandate that developers and city officials treat an unzoned earthquake fault line just like a...
Swiss Re’s CFO Quinn Sees No Rebound in 2014 Reinsurance Rates
Feb 21 2014 // Reinsurance rates, particularly for natural catastrophe coverage, probably won’t increase this year, said Swiss Re Ltd.’s chief financial officer. Prices will only begin to rise again when there is some...
Allstate: Catastrophe Losses in January Reached $277M
Feb 20 2014 // Allstate Corp. said estimated catastrophe losses for the month of January were $277 million. The cost is $180 million after tax, the personal lines insurer said. Catastrophe losses were from six events at an estimated cost...
On Second Thought, Make That 14 Atlantic Storms in 2013
Feb 18 2014 // The National Hurricane Center has added one subtropical storm to last year’s tally of tropical weather. Forecasters said that as part of a routine review of data from the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, a short-lived...
Arkansas Earthquakes Spawn Lawsuit Against Drilling Companies
Feb 17 2014 // Fourteen families in central Arkansas have filed a lawsuit in connection with a series of earthquakes in Faulkner County that prompted the state in 2011 to ban the use of four natural-gas drilling disposal wells in a large...
Global 2013 Cat Losses at $40 Billion Were ‘Below Average’ – Guy Carpenter
Feb 13 2014 // Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, the leading global risk and reinsurance specialist and member of Marsh & McLennan Companies, 2013 Catastrophe Review concludes that “natural catastrophes and man-made disasters...
Moore, Joplin Mayors: Majority of Tornado-Stricken Homes Being Rebuilt
Feb 12 2014 // Mayors from two communities hit by deadly EF5 tornadoes in recent years say more than three-quarters of residents who were displaced have rebuilt their homes or intend to do so. It’s been almost three years since the...
Sinking of Ship ‘Bounty’ Blamed on Captain’s ‘Reckless Decision’
Feb 12 2014 // A captain’s “reckless decision to sail into the well-forecasted path of Hurricane Sandy” was the probable cause of the sinking of a tall ship off the North Carolina coast in October, 2012, the National...
Oklahoma, Texas Had Costliest Natural Disasters in 2013: Hartwig
Feb 11 2014 // The Oklahoma tornadoes of May 2013 not only caused significant loss of life but also contributed to its designation last year as the costliest state for natural disaster related insurance payouts, according to the...
Early California Wildfires Risk To Homes And Vineyards
Feb 11 2014 // California’s worst drought in decades is feeding what may become a devastating wildfire season, one that is starting about five months early. Extremely dry conditions have sparked 487 wildfires so far in 2014,...
Louisiana Hospital Adds Screens as Protection Against Hurricane Winds
Feb 10 2014 // West Jefferson Medical Center in Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish is working on what hospital officials describe as a hurricane-hardening project to secure its windows. New Orleans CityBusiness reports the work is part...
Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish Found Negligent in Hurricane Katrina Flood Case
Feb 10 2014 // A jury has found Jefferson Parish government negligent in the way it drafted and enacted a plan that evacuated drainage pump operators on the eve of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in Louisiana but ruled the parish was...
The report indicated 80 Terrorism and Political Risk
Feb 10 2014 // The world is a risky place for business travelers but it might be a little safer when it comes to terrorism and political violence risk at least in some countries. According to the recently released Aon Risk Solutions 2014...
Snowy, Cold January Was Deadly and Costly: Aon
Feb 6 2014 // The various winter storms that brought snow and bitter cold to the United States in January took more than 50 lives and are expected to result in direct economic losses of about $3.5 billion and insured losses of more than...
National Tornado Summit Focused on Catastrophe Preparedness, Response
Feb 5 2014 // The third annual National Tornado Summit being held Feb. 10 and 11 in Oklahoma City will bring together insurance industry professionals, emergency managers, policymakers and weather experts. Oklahoma Insurance...
Oklahoma Insurance Department Hosting Tornado Survivor Claims, Tax Forum
Feb 5 2014 // Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak is hosting a consumer assistance event to help tornado survivors with their insurance claims and inform them of important tax information, including possible deductions, the...
