Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Powerful Earthquake Strikes off Vancouver Island Coast: AIR Analysis
Apr 25 2014 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, has issued a report on the powerful M6.6 earthquake that struck off the coast of Canada’s Vancouver Island at about 3:10 a.m. UTC (8:10 p.m. local time) a at a depth of 11.4...
California Bill To Close Earthquake Loophole Clears Committee
Apr 24 2014 // A California bill to close a loophole that enables building on active earthquake faults without considering the impacts passed a key committee hurdle on Thursday. Senate Bill 1155, authored by state Sen. Ted Lieu,...
Why Not Renewing TRIA Could Cost Government More Than Renewing It
Apr 24 2014 // Ending the federal terrorism risk insurance program could end up costing the federal government more than if the program, TRIA, is allowed to continue, according to a RAND Corp. study. The analysis finds that in a...
Mass. Regulator on Boston Bombing Claims, TRIA Reauthorization Effort
Apr 23 2014 // Massachusetts Division of Insurance’s last data call showed that the vast majority of insurance claims stemming from the Boston marathon bombing tragedy have been resolved. The data also revealed that among the 160...
Recent Quakes Push Interest, Sales of Policies in California
Apr 22 2014 // Some people don’t need Earth Day to be reminded they live on a planet powered by the forces of nature. The recent string earthquakes on the Pacific belt may have hit home with California homeowners, who were already...
Marsh Report Finds Continued Demand for Terrorism Risk Insurance; Urges Renewal
Apr 22 2014 // Demand for terrorism insurance remains strong and the existence of the federal terrorism risk insurance program plays a key role in making coverage available and affordable, according to a report released by insurance...
Timber Company Sues Over Idaho Wildfire
Apr 21 2014 // Idaho officials have filed a lawsuit against a timber company and its contractor contending they’re responsible for a wildfire that killed a 20-year-old Forest Service firefighter and burned more than 300 acres in...
Bigger and More Frequent Wildfires Burning Western U.S.
Apr 21 2014 // Wildfires across the western United States have been getting bigger and more frequent over the last 30 years, according to a new study. The number of wildfires over 1,000 acres in size in the region stretching from...
2013 P/C Insurers’ Results Show Net Gain on Underwriting– First Since 2007
Apr 21 2014 // U.S. property/casualty insurers’ net income after taxes grew to $63.8 billion in 2013 from $35.1 billion in 2012, with insurers’ overall profitability as measured by their rate of return on average...
Strong M7.2 Earthquake Shakes Acapulco, Mexico City: AIR Analysis
Apr 21 2014 // According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, on the morning of April 18, 2014, a M7.2 earthquake struck southwestern Mexico, 37 km [23 miles] north of the municipality of Tecpán de Galeana (approximate population...
Local Officials Urged to Educate Public on Storm Risks, Building for Future
Apr 21 2014 // Two of the country’s top disaster experts challenged emergency managers and forecasters from Texas to Maine to help educate coastal residents and developers about hurricane hazards. Speaking at the National Hurricane...
Financial Regulators Tell Congress TRIA Still Needed
Apr 20 2014 // The private insurance market is not in a position to fill the gap that would be created if Congress fails to renew the federal terrorism risk insurance program, concludes a new report to Congress by the government’s...
Forecasters to Issue Special Maps, Warnings on Storm Surge
Apr 17 2014 // Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center hope new color-coded maps they’re trying out this year will simplify two important points about storm surge for coastal residents: how far from the beach the water will...
Boston Marathon Attacks Convinced Smaller, Midsized Firms to Buy Terror Insurance
Apr 17 2014 // For landlord Peter Zagorianakos, terrorism insurance wasn’t a necessity until the bombs went off last April at the Boston Marathon and revealed a frightening pattern. Two buildings he owns stand within a half-mile...
Multiple Twisters Hit South Central States, Cause Minor Damage
Apr 16 2014 // Tornadoes that hit the South Central states of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas over the past weekend caused minimal damage but with them Oklahoma saw the end of its eight-month twister-less streak. Surveys by National Weather...
Texas Windstorm Insurer Opens 24-Hour Claims Call Center
Apr 15 2014 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, the insurer of last resort for wind and hail along the Texas coast, reported it has established a Claims Call Center that is open 24 hours, seven days a week. TWIA is encouraging...
Insurance Industry Welcomes Terrorism Bill But Not Co-Pay Hike
Apr 15 2014 // Insurance industry lobbying groups are hopeful that the bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate on April 10 to reauthorize the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, or TRIA, will have a better chance for passage than some...
Oklahoma on a Tornado-Less Streak: 8 Months Without One
Apr 14 2014 // Oklahoma hasn’t had a tornado or a tornado warning for more than eight months, though it is doubtful Oklahoma will be able to match its longest streak ever without a twister. Things have been unusually quiet through...
Magnitude 7.6 Quake, Heavy Waves Strike Solomon Islands
Apr 14 2014 // A powerful magnitude-7.6 earthquake triggered large waves in the Solomon Islands on Sunday, and authorities were trying to determine if there was any serious damage or injuries. Government spokesman George Herming said...
Impact Forecasting to Launch Combined Chile Quake/Tsunami Cat Model
Apr 14 2014 // Impact Forecasting, the catastrophe model development center of excellence at Aon Benfield, announced the launch of a Chile earthquake model that also incorporates tsunami risks, the first such model to do so. The launch...
