Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hurricane Region Residents Urged to Have Tech Backups
Jun 6 2012 // People living in hurricane prone areas should have a backup tech plan in case a storm hits, because Internet and cell phone connections are likely to go out, FEMA director Craig Fugate said recently during the first day of...
Colorado Governor To Sign Wildfire Compensation Bills
Jun 5 2012 // Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is preparing to add his signature to two bills that will provide victims of the state-caused Lower North Fork fire ways to seek more compensation. The bills signed Monday will retroactively...
More Containment On New Mexico Wildfire
Jun 5 2012 // Aerial ignitions along multiple portions of the Whitewater-Baldy Complex wildfire boundary in New Mexico allowed crews to hold and mop-up without any complications, while containment of the state’s largest recorded...
Springfield, Mass., Residents Sue City Over 2011 Tornado Damages
Jun 5 2012 // Owners and tenants of a Springfield, Mass., condominium complex damaged by last year’s tornadoes have filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging officials prematurely ordered the demolition of a building, robbing...
Tornadoes Damage Areas in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland
Jun 4 2012 // Tornadoes swept through several counties in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland last Friday, knocking down trees and power lines and damaging dozens of structures and homes. Here are the latest reports from The Associated...
More Containment on New Mexico Wildfire at 255K acres
Jun 4 2012 // Firefighters conducted more aerial ignitions over the weekend along pieces of the western boundary of the Whitewater-Baldy Complex wildfire in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest, which has grown to more than 255,000...
Many in Tornado Alley Still Rely on Warning Sirens
Jun 4 2012 // Warnings sent directly to cell phones and broadcast over the airwaves can provide a detailed heads-up before dangerous storms. But for many parts of Tornado Alley, storm sirens remain so ubiquitous that one official says...
Officials: New Orleans Ready for Hurricanes
Jun 4 2012 // The Army Corps of Engineers — responsible for the massive rebuilding of hurricane protection after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — and leaders from around the metropolitan area say they’re working...
Colorado Researchers Raise Atlantic Storm Forecast
Jun 4 2012 // Colorado State University researchers on Friday 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,...
Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins
Jun 4 2012 // It’s that time of the year again. The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season officially got underway on June 1. So far, forecasters are saying this will be a less-active-than-usual North Atlantic hurricane season. And...
Loan Readiness
Jun 4 2012 // Floridians still remember Hurricane Andrew from 20 years ago and for good reason given the destruction the Category 5 wrought. Andrew still ranks as one of the most expensive natural disasters ever in the U.S. The state...
R.I. Enacts New Hurricane Insurance Law
Jun 4 2012 // Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee on May 22 signed into law legislation designed to provide additional protection to homeowners when their properties suffer damages from hurricanes. The legislation (House bill 2012-H7484A...
Mass. Tornadoes in 2011 Caused $200M in Insured Damages
Jun 4 2012 // Massachusetts officials said that insurers so far paid out $200 million in claims related to devastating tornadoes in western and central Massachusetts that occurred on June 1, 2011. The Massachusetts Insurance Division...
Reinsurers Can Meet Hurricane Coverage Demand: Fitch
Jun 4 2012 // Sufficient capacity remains available in the insurance and reinsurance markets to meet the demand for coverage prior to the approaching U.S. hurricane season, according to Fitch Ratings. Early forecasts for the 2012 U.S....
Baseball Goes to Bat for Tornado Victims
Jun 4 2012 // Major League Baseball and a charitable foundation run by players are working with Habitat for Humanity to build nine homes for the tornado-ravaged communities of Joplin, Mo., and Tuscaloosa, Ala., with more than half of...
Florida Hurricane Fund May Come Up Short If Big Storm Hits
Jun 4 2012 // Florida may not have enough money to pay off hurricane insurance claims if a big storm hits this year. An advisory panel recently concluded that the state may fall nearly $2 billion short of the total needed to cover all...
Mass. Church Rebounds After 2011 Tornado; Insurance Covers $2M Repair
Jun 1 2012 // A year after a tornado downed its steeple, The First Church of Monson Congregational in Monson, Mass., is rebounding.Photo credit: The First Church of Monson CongregationalThe town’s oldest church became a disaster...
Can Texas Escape Another Hurricane Season?
Jun 1 2012 // Today marks the start of another hurricane season and many Texans are wondering if we can go one more year without a destructive storm. The last hurricane to strike Texas proved to be the costliest. Hurricane Ike struck...
Fake Hurricane Helps Mississippi Responders Prepare for Real One
Jun 1 2012 // Hurricane Natasha was a fake storm, but Mississippi’s emergency responders treated it like it was the real thing. Natasha was a simulated Category 3 hurricane used Wednesday as part of a training exercise for the...
Michigan Upper Peninsula Wildfire Destroys 115 Structures
May 31 2012 // State officials say 115 structures, including homes and a motel, have been destroyed by a wildfire in the Upper Peninsula. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said the wildfire in Luce County’s Duck Lake...
