Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Court Shields Developers From Terrorism-Related Damages in 9/11 Case
Dec 5 2013 // A federal appeals court in New York has given developers and builders of high-rises and other buildings added protection from lawsuits over property losses linked to terrorism, in a case stemming from the Sept. 11, 2001...
Post-Hailstorm Roofing Permits in Kansas Town Return to Normal
Dec 4 2013 // A surge in demand for roofing permits that began in Hutchinson, Kan., after a July 23 hailstorm appears to be coming to an end. Nearly 2,000 new roofs, with a value of just under $24 million, have been installed since the...
Reinsurers to Lower Prices Following Weak Hurricane Season: Fitch
Dec 4 2013 // The quietest U.S. Atlantic hurricane season in decades will lead to a low double-digit fall in related catastrophe reinsurance pricing in the key 2014 renewals, according to experts at Fitch Ratings. The ratings agency...
Interest in Insurance Rises in Oklahoma Along with Earthquake Activity
Dec 3 2013 // It’s become a predictable routine at Matt Pryor’s insurance agency: An earthquake rumbles through Oklahoma, rattling dishes and nerves. Then the phones light up with calls and text messages from desperate...
Insurance Lab in South Carolina Aims to Alter ‘Cycle of Destruction’
Dec 2 2013 // The insurance industry hopes a 21,000-square-foot lab in rural South Carolina can help revolutionize the way homes are built and stem the cost of Mother Nature’s disasters. Officials at the Insurance Institute for...
Out of Joplin Tornado: Recommendations for Safety, Communication Standards
Dec 2 2013 // National standards should be set for building construction, storm shelters and emergency communications to reduce death and damage from tornadoes, a federal agency that studied the deadly 2011 tornado in Joplin, Mo., has...
50-Plus Tornadoes Pummel Midwest in Late Season Outbreak
Dec 2 2013 // In a rare late season outbreak, more than 50 tornadoes blasted across Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. on Nov. 17. Preliminary estimates by the catastrophe modeling firm RMS put insured losses from the...
Illinois AG Investigating Tornado Relief Scam
Dec 2 2013 // Illinois’ Attorney General has opened an investigation into a potential fundraising scam tied to tornado relief efforts in Washington, Ill., and other downstate Illinois communities. Lisa Madigan said the Charitable...
Report Shows Nearly 5 Million Homes Endangered by Wildfires
Dec 2 2013 // More than 4.5 million U.S. households are at high or extreme risk from wildfire, according to new analysis by Verisk Insurance Solutions – Underwriting, a unit of Verisk Analytics. The analysis identified the number...
Mass. Regulator Offers Update on Industry Developments, Boston Bombing Claims
Nov 27 2013 // Massachusetts’ top insurance regulator recently spoke about the state of the insurance industry in Massachusetts, with topics ranging from the auto insurance marketplace and the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform...
Weak 2013 Hurricane Season Coming to a Close
Nov 27 2013 // The 2013 Atlantic season has delivered the fewest hurricanes since 1982, U.S. forecasters said, despite their predictions in May that it would be a busier than normal year. Forecasters had predicted 13 to 20 named Atlantic...
Penn. Regulators Offer Tips to Avoid Turkey Frying Homeowners Catastrophe
Nov 26 2013 // The Pennsylvania Insurance Department and the Office of the State Fire Commissioner are cautioning consumers to be extra careful when considering deep frying a turkey as part of the Thanksgiving celebration. While a tasty...
New Map Predicts Tsunami Effects On Alaska City
Nov 25 2013 // The state has released a tsunami inundation map for Sitka, Alaska showing the estimated high-water mark in the event of a tsunami. But Sitka Fire Chief Dave Miller said not to take the map as the final word on how high the...
Indiana Businesses Work to Recover from Tornadoes
Nov 22 2013 // Dan May has already found a location to temporarily set up his law office and his daughter’s art gallery that were destroyed by a tornado that swept through Kokomo, Ind., but he’s concerned about what other...
Colorado State Running Out of Money for Hurricane Forecasting
Nov 21 2013 // Colorado State University, which pioneered seasonal hurricane forecasting 30 years ago, may have issued its last prediction. The school’s Tropical Meteorological Project needs $150,000 or it will end in February,...
National Building, Communications Standards Recommended for Tornado Safety
Nov 21 2013 // National standards should be set for building construction, storm shelters and emergency communications to reduce death and damage from tornados, a federal agency that studied the deadly 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri,...
New Assessment: At Least 15 Tornadoes Hit Illinois
Nov 21 2013 // New damage assessments from the National Weather Service show that at least 15 tornadoes hit Illinois during the outbreak of violent storms on Nov. 17. Central parts of the state had the most with seven twisters, including...
Hundreds of Homes Destroyed by Midwest Tornado Outbreak: AIR
Nov 19 2013 // Hundreds of homes were flattened by the outbreak of intense late-season thunderstorms accompanied by high winds, quarter-to-baseball sized hail, and dozens of tornadoes that swept across the Midwest on Nov. 17, according...
Insured Loss for Midwest’s Rare November Tornadoes Could Top $1B: RMS
Nov 19 2013 // The Nov. 17 tornadoes in the Midwest could become the insurance industry’s first billion-dollar severe weather event to occur in November, according to catastrophe modeling firm RMS. According to Matthew Nielsen, RMS...
12 Indiana Counties Report Tornadoes or Damage
Nov 18 2013 // Severe thunderstorms packing tornadoes and heavy winds rolled across Indiana on Sunday, injuring at least one person and causing widespread damage. Gov. Mike Pence said 12 counties reported either tornadoes or damage after...
