Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Swiss Re Structures $240 million Insurance-linked Securities for Allianz
Apr 6 2012 // Swiss Re Capital Markets announced that it has “structured and successfully placed $240 million of insurance-linked securities [cat bonds] issued by Blue Danube Ltd., on behalf of a subsidiary of Allianz SE. The...
Aon Benfield March Cat Recap: Severe U.S. Weather, Quakes & Floods
Apr 6 2012 // Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon Corp, has released the latest edition of its Global Catastrophe Recap report, which reviews the natural disaster perils that occurred worldwide...
No Forecast Requests in 3 Days Before Colorado Wildfire
Apr 5 2012 // Colorado officials monitoring a prescribed burn apparently didn’t request updated weather forecasts for the area for three days before it erupted into a deadly wildfire. Records released Wednesday show the National...
Colorado Death After Emergency Wildfire Calls Questioned
Apr 5 2012 // Sam Lucas was among the first to call about a wildfire burning near his Colorado home. But the busy emergency dispatcher cut him off, saying it was a controlled burn and the forest service was on the scene. “We got...
Tornado-Wrecked Dallas-Area Begins Assessing Damage
Apr 5 2012 // The tornado hurtled toward the North Texas nursing home. Physical therapist Patti Gilroy said she saw the swirling mass barreling down through the back door, after she herded patients into the hallway in the order trained:...
Best Announces Rating Actions on NZ’s ‘Old’ & ‘New’ AMI Insurance
Apr 5 2012 // A.M. Best Co. announced rating actions on both New Zealand’s AMI Insurance Limited, or the old AMI, and AMI Insurance (Operations) Limited, or the new AMI, following a substantial restructuring of the company in the...
CEA and Red Cross Combine Forces to Raise Awareness
Apr 4 2012 // In what those involved say may bring about many more such pairings, the California Earthquake Authority and the American Red Cross have joined forces to try to boost preparedness and recovery when California’s next...
Calls Show Residents Panicked Over Colorado Wildfire
Apr 4 2012 // A man who was found dead in his burned home was among the confused and panicked residents who called Colorado authorities as a wildfire raged near them. Police tapes obtained by KMGH-TV show that Sam Lucas expressed...
Tornadoes Slam North Texas Causing Extensive Damage
Apr 4 2012 // A severe line of thunderstorms and isolated super cells moved into the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area in the early afternoon on April 3 producing numerous tornadoes and large hail that was responsible for...
PERILS Estimates Windstorm Andrea Property Losses at $407 Million
Apr 4 2012 // PERILS AG, the independent Zurich-based company providing industry-wide European catastrophe insurance data, has updated its loss report for windstorm Andrea, which struck Western Europe in early January. PERILS’...
160-Year Old Hanover Retaking Its Place as P/C Industry Leader
Apr 3 2012 // Eight out of 160 years of history may not seem like a big deal but for Hanover Insurance Group, founded in 1852, the last eight years have seen a series of big deals. Eight years ago in 2004, the $2.4 billion heavily...
Colorado Wildfire Victims Returning to Homes
Apr 3 2012 // The Lower North Fork wildfire in Jefferson County, Colo. is nearly 100 percent contained, and with all remaining evacuation and pre-evacuation orders lifted on Tuesday residents were returning to their homes. The fire,...
Tornadoes Raise Home Insurance Rates in Missouri
Apr 3 2012 // Even Missouri residents who lived nowhere near last year’s deadly tornadoes are writing bigger checks to insure their homes. The state Department of Insurance reports that premiums increased 5 percent between July...
Kentucky Tornado Tax Relief Bill Gets Final Passage
Apr 3 2012 // Tornado victims in 21 Kentucky counties that were declared disaster areas by President Obama after the March 2 tornadoes would get a sales tax break on materials they purchase for rebuilding their houses or other...
Michigan Catastrophic Injury Premium to Go to $175 Per Car
Apr 2 2012 // Michigan drivers will pay $30 more for auto insurance starting July 1 to care for accident victims who have brain damage, paralysis or other catastrophic injuries, raising the annual fee to $175 per vehicle. The Michigan...
Colorado Wildfire Nearing Full Containment
Mar 31 2012 // A blaze that may have been sparked by a prescribed burn conducted by the Colorado State Forest Service and ignited by high winds on Monday is now at 90 percent containment, the Forest Service said Saturday afternoon. The...
Virginia Officials Urge Earthquake Insurance Check
Mar 31 2012 // State officials are reminding homeowners to review their insurance policies to see if they have earthquake insurance ahead of a new law that will require better disclosure if policies exclude such coverage. The State...
Alert Level Raised For Remote Alaska Volcano
Mar 30 2012 // The alert level for a remote Alaska volcano has been raised again after scientists found another lava dome has formed in the crater in the last week. The Alaska Volcano Observatory on Wednesday increased the level for...
Some Progress Made On Colorado Wildfire
Mar 29 2012 // Firefighters are making progress on a wildfire in Colorado that has now consumed an estimated 4,140 acres, destroyed 27 structures and caused the deaths of at least two people, according to the Colorado State Forest...
New Mexico Governor Urges Wildfire Prevention
Mar 29 2012 // Gov. Susana Martinez says conditions are in place for another difficult fire season in New Mexico. The governor kicked off Wildfire Awareness Week on Tuesday by urging residents to be prepared and do their part to prevent...
