Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Chris Becomes First Hurricane of Season – No Threat to Land
Jun 21 2012 // The most recent bulletin from the National Hurricane Center in Miami confirms that tropical storm Chris has strengthened into a “category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale,” the first of...
NOAA In Midst Of Tsunami Debris Survey
Jun 20 2012 // Government scientists are in the midst of a 10-day trip, surveying southeast Alaska beaches for debris from last year’s deadly tsunami in Japan. While there have been several high-profile instances of debris from the...
Boeing Lauds Tornado Recovery by Key Kansas Supplier
Jun 20 2012 // Top Boeing Co. executives were in Wichita, Kan., on June 18 to celebrate tornado recovery efforts by parts supplier Spirit AeroSystems, telling thousands of cheering employees that the event forged a stronger bond between...
Dallas Hailstorm Loss Estimate Drops Below $1 Billion
Jun 20 2012 // Insured losses from last week’s violent hailstorm in Dallas should be just under $1 billion, a trade group for Texas insurers said on Tuesday, sharply less than what another industry group estimated last week. The...
Tropical Storm Chris Forms in Atlantic; No Threat to Land
Jun 20 2012 // The National Hurricane Center in Miami is currently tracking Tropical Storm Chris, the third named storm of the current Atlantic hurricane season, but it does not expect it to cause any damage on land. According to the...
Chubb Expands Wildfire Defense Services in Texas
Jun 20 2012 // The Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. has expanded its Wildfire Defense Services to most of Texas less than a year after the state experienced its worst wildfire season on record. The free loss-prevention service is now...
Tropical Storm Irene’s Scars Healing in Adirondacks, Catskills in N.Y.
Jun 19 2012 // A replacement for one of the most well-traveled and iconic bridges in the Adirondack High Peaks was completed and opened to hikers Sunday as crews continue to repair backcountry trail damage from Tropical Storm Irene in...
Businesses Concerned Over South Carolina Hurricane Evacuation Plan
Jun 19 2012 // Hotel owners and tourism promoters along South Carolina’s Grand Strand are concerned about new hurricane evacuation plans that take into account storm surge and include areas not previously part of such plans. The...
Colorado Wildfire Rages: 189 Homes Destroyed
Jun 18 2012 // Another eight structures burned in the High Park Fire in Colorado overnight, bringing the tally to 189 homes burned and making it the most destructive fire in the state’s history, officials said on Monday. No...
Colorado Wildfire Burns Most Homes in State History
Jun 18 2012 // A wildfire in northern has scorched about 85 square miles of forest land and destroyed at least 181 homes, the most in state history. The destructiveness of the High Park Fire burning 15 miles west of Fort Collins...
Dallas Hailstorm Insured Losses Could Reach $2 Billion
Jun 18 2012 // Inspecting hail damage. AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Nathan Hunsinger Insured losses from the massive hailstorm that struck the Dallas area on Wednesday could reach as much as $2 billion, making it one of the most...
Willis Re Reports on Impact of ‘RMS v11’ European Windstorm Model Changes
Jun 18 2012 // A report from Willis Re notes that “UK insurers may see increases of up to 97 percent in their capital requirement for catastrophe exposures under Solvency II rules when making calculations under the new Risk...
Study Finds Little Earthquake Risk from Fracking
Jun 18 2012 // The fracking drilling technique used to tap shale oil and gas is unlikely to trigger earthquakes, but underground injection of waste water from drilling offers more risks for seismic activity, a new U.S. study said on...
Habitat to Build Homes for Tornado Victims
Jun 18 2012 // Habitat for Humanity is planning to build nine houses in Indiana for residents displaced by tornadoes. Madison’s local planning commission recommended that the city council rezone 1.25 acres of former city property...
Tornadoes Sweep Through Va., Penn. Counties
Jun 18 2012 // Tornadoes swept through several counties in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland earlier this month, knocking down trees and power lines and damaging dozens of structures and homes, according to The Associated Press....
Deductible Reminder
Jun 18 2012 // Eighteen coastal states permit insurers to use hurricane deductibles in their homeowners policies. But the Insurance Information Institute is concerned insureds may not see them even though they are clearly listed on their...
NYC Faces Greatest Financial Risk From Storms: CoreLogic
Jun 18 2012 // When people think of hurricane damage they usually think of Miami or New Orleans, but a new report suggests the greatest financial risk of all may be much farther north: the greater New York City area. Data analysis firm...
Researchers Seeks Details of Georgia’s Hurricane History
Jun 18 2012 // Before Georgia began its current streak of 114 years without a major hurricane, the state’s coastline was a fairly frequent target in the 1800s. At least six big storms, some of them responsible for violent death...
Atlantic Storm Forecast Raised
Jun 18 2012 // Colorado State University researchers have raised their forecast for the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season to 13 tropical storms, with five hurricanes and two major hurricanes. In April they forecast 10 tropical storms, with...
Florida Court OK with Insurer Not Following Hurricane Deductible Notice to a ‘T’
Jun 18 2012 // The failure to strictly follow the requirements for providing policyholders with information about their hurricane deductible does not mean the deductible is unenforceable, Florida’s high court has ruled. The Florida...
