Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
For Florida Gov. Scott, Insurance Fixes Are Legislative Priority
Dec 21 2011 // Gov. Rick Scott wants lawmakers to fix a pair of auto and property insurance issues that are costing Floridians hundreds of millions of dollars but have eluded resolution for more than a decade. The issue facing the...
Alabama Tornado Survivors Sought for Interviews
Dec 21 2011 // Public health agencies are looking to interview survivors of the killer tornadoes that hit north and central Alabama on April 27. State Health Officer Don Williamson said the goal is to explore ways to lessen the loss of...
Louisiana Citizens Owes More than $100M to Policyholders, High Court Says
Dec 20 2011 // Louisiana’s highest court has reinstated a nearly $100 million judgment against the state’s property insurer of last resort in a class action lawsuit stemming from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Louisiana...
Hurricane Forecaster Delays 2012 Prediction Until Spring
Dec 20 2011 // Hurricane forecaster William Gray will wait until spring to predict how many storms will form in the Atlantic. Gray and his research partner at Colorado State University, Philip Klotzbach, usually start making predictions...
Best Affirms Lloyd’s Syndicate 2001 Ratings; Amlin AG, Amlin plc; Outlook Stable
Dec 20 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “aa-” of Lloyd’s Syndicate 2001, which is...
AIR Analyzes Tropical Storm Washi’s Impact on Philippine’s Mindanao
Dec 20 2011 // According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, Tropical Storm Washi pummeled the northern part of the Philippine island of Mindanao late Thursday night. Heavy rainfall from Washi (locally called Sendong) lasted for...
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Doak Has Had a Full Plate in 2011
Dec 19 2011 // In his first year as insurance commissioner of Oklahoma, John Doak has been a busy man. Doak and the agency he leads have had their hands full implementing reforms in the workers’ compensation system, dealing with a...
Cat Assessment Firm PERILS Expands Coverage to Include UK Flood Risks
Dec 19 2011 // PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data, announced that it has extended its market coverage to include the peril of inland flooding in the UK. The bulletin...
Alabama Awaits Detail of Data Call from Windstorms
Dec 16 2011 // Regulators and consumer groups in Alabama are awaiting the results of a data call from insurers to see if they are quickly handling claims and resolving other residents’ claimants. Commissioner Jim Ridling issued the...
FEMA Expands Wildfires Declaration to 119 Texas Counties
Dec 16 2011 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency has expanded its wildfires disaster declaration area for Texas to include 119 counties. Gov. Rick Perry announced that FEMA has granted the state’s request to increase the...
Fact or Fiction? Insurance Tidbits of Known and Little-Known Information
Dec 16 2011 // Have you ever wondered how modern-day fire departments began? Or why agents buy E&O coverage? What about when the first business owners policy launched? These are just a few questions that Insurance Journal and Claims...
Test Your Insurance News Knowledge
Dec 16 2011 // Are you an insurance news hound? Test your insurance news IQ and find out. The following questions and answers (see bottom of the page) were developed based on news stories published on InsuranceJournal.com and...
Preparedness Stressed on 200th Anniversary of the New Madrid Earthquakes
Dec 15 2011 // On the 200th anniversary of the first tremors of the New Madrid earthquakes, which were several of the most powerful quakes the United States has ever experienced, an insurance industry-backed group is reminding consumers...
FEMA: Texas Wildfire Survivors Should Consider Flood Insurance
Dec 15 2011 // Flood protection might be the last concern of Texas wildfire survivors these days. Yet Texans — even those who live in areas not rated at high risk of flooding — should consider purchasing a flood insurance policy now,...
Swiss Re Estimates 2011 Economic Cat Loss at $350 Bn; Insured Loss $108 Bn
Dec 15 2011 // Swiss Re describes 2011 as the “year with the highest catastrophe-related economic losses in history, at $350 billion.” It could have been the most costly year ever for the insurance industry, if Japan had been...
Willis Completes $200 million ‘Golden State Re’ Cat Bond for State Fund
Dec 12 2011 // Willis Capital Markets & Advisory (WCMA), part of Willis Group Holdings, announced it has structured and placed a $200 million catastrophe bond transaction for the California State Compensation Insurance Fund. The...
Connecticut Updates Underwriting Guidelines for Hurricane Deductible
Dec 12 2011 // Connecticut insurance department announced that it has updated its coastal underwriting guidelines to clarify when hurricane deductibles can be applied. The hurricane deductible issue has been in the spotlight in wake of...
Northern UK, Scotland Battered by Windstorm Friedhelm: AIR Analysis
Dec 12 2011 // According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, a red alert was issued for winds in Scotland and the Northern UK by the Met Office. As a result, AIR said “widespread structural damage” was likely; flood...
North Carolina Homes Rebuilt After Twisters
Dec 12 2011 // The relief organization Samaritan’s Purse last Friday turned over the keys of two homes rebuilt by volunteers eight months after they were destroyed by deadly tornadoes in Bertie County. Lucy “Pearl”...
Post-Irene Rebuilding Could Take Several More Months, N.Y. Group Says
Dec 9 2011 // This year’s hurricane season was an unusually costly and damaging one for New York State residents. And as the winter sets in, it will take several more months for people in areas ranging from Adirondack Mountains to...
