Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
World’s First Catastrophe-Bond ETF Falters in ‘Crazy’ Market
Apr 25 2025 // The world’s first-ever exchange-traded fund based on catastrophe bonds has failed to get the seed capital it expected after launching on the eve of the Trump administration’s tariff war. “Some of our seed...
California Wildfire Losses Cause 16% Fall in The Hartford’s Q1 Net Income
Apr 25 2025 // Net income at The Hartford decreased 16% to $630 million in the first quarter 2025, driven by losses from the California wildfires. Property/casualty catastrophe losses for Q1 2025 were $467 million pretax—$325 million,...
Lawmakers Agree to Pay $807M Into Lahaina Wildfires Settlement Fund
Apr 25 2025 // It’s not often that applause breaks out in the audience after a vote at the Hawaiʻi Legislature, but that one afternoon this week. The measure was House Bill 1001, and the subject was settling claims related to the...
Heavily-Forested New Hampshire Enters Wildfire Season
Apr 25 2025 // Despite rain statewide this month, the New Hampshire Forest Protection Bureau reports that 72% of the Granite State is currently experiencing abnormally dry conditions. The bureau is reminding the public that spring is the...
NJ Wildfire Update: 50% Contained; High Spread Risk Today; Suspect in Custody
Apr 25 2025 // At a time when firefighters are battling one of the worst wildfires in New Jersey’s history, there is an increased risk for rapid fire spread this afternoon across portions of the Garden State and eastern...
More Americans Breathe Unhealthy Air Due to Wildfires, Extreme Heat
Apr 25 2025 // Around 156 million Americans, nearly half of the US population, now live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, part of a trend toward declining air quality as climate change-related extreme weather events like...
Forecast Calls for Wildfires to Burn More Land Across US This Year
Apr 25 2025 // A long-range forecast predicts wildfires will burn more land across the U.S. this year, with a potentially active spring in places and a build up into summer. An AccuWeather forecast out on Wednesday calls for 7 to 9...
Why New York and New Jersey Are at Risk of Spring Wildfires
Apr 25 2025 // The wildfire scorching southern New Jersey ignited despite a series of downpours in recent weeks — and the region is ripe for more blazes. April’s rains didn’t soak into the ground enough to prevent the fire...
PG&E Misses 1Q Profit Estimates on Higher Expenses, LA Wildfire Worries Linger
Apr 24 2025 // PG&E Corp. missed first-quarter profit estimates on Thursday, as the power company was hurt by higher operating and interest expenses. Higher-for-longer interest rates push up borrowing costs for utility companies,...
Update on New Jersey Wildfire: Suspect Charged With Arson
Apr 24 2025 // New Jersey officials announced that a 19-year old man has been charged with arson in connection with the Jones Road wildfire that started on April 22 and has spread throughout the southern Ocean County area. Joseph Kling...
UK’s Extremely Dry Start to Year Raises Crop and Wildfire Risks
Apr 24 2025 // The UK’s driest start to the year in four decades is threatening the country’s grain crops and increasing the risk of wildfires. Total precipitation of about 20.5 centimeters (8.1 inches) during the first...
Update on New Jersey Wildfire: 30% Contained, Evacuation Orders Lifted
Apr 23 2025 // A major wildfire in southern New Jersey’s Ocean County expanded last night, leading to the evacuation of 5,000 people and threats to more than 1,320 structures. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported last night...
Wildfire Losses Drop Chubb Q1 Net Income 38%, While Tariffs Create ‘Confusion’
Apr 23 2025 // First quarter 2025 net income at Chubb fell nearly 38% to about $1.3 billion as losses from the California wildfires overcame underlying results. Chief Executive Officer Evan G. Greenberg in a statement said the insurer...
Communities Reeling From Deadly Tornadoes in Texas and Oklahoma
Apr 22 2025 // A slow-moving, active storm system brought heavy rain, large hail and tornadoes to parts of Texas and Oklahoma and left three people dead as severe weather warnings Sunday continue to threaten parts of the south-central...
High Cost of Living Fears Made Worse by LA Wildfire in UCLA Survey
Apr 21 2025 // The high cost of living remains a main concern in America’s largest exacerbated by the January 2025 wildfires is one of the biggest worries bothering residents of Los Angeles County. A survey focused on the county,...
Revisiting California’s Wildfires: A Personal Journey
Apr 21 2025 // PART TWO OF A TWO-PART SERIES In this second article in a two-part series, Journalist Russ Banham endeavors to better understand the factors behind the devastating fires in Los Angeles County and the roles that public...
Wildfires and Lessons Learned
Apr 21 2025 // “I conceive that the great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by false estimates they made of the value of things.” — Benjamin Franklin It seems difficult to watch a daily newscast that...
California Sets Aside $170M to Thin Vegetation, Forests to Help Prevent Wildfires
Apr 17 2025 // Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation on Monday that will provide more than $170 million in state funding to help prevent wildfires while signing an order aimed at speeding up the work by easing environmental...
Wildfire Losses Increasing But Still Small Compared to Hurricanes: KCC
Apr 16 2025 // Wildfire losses in the U.S. are increasing, but the risk is still considerably smaller than hurricanes, according to a new KCC white paper. While we usually think of California and other western states—especially since...
Travelers Income Drops 65% on Catastrophe Losses, Primarily California Wildfires
Apr 16 2025 // The Travelers Cos. said first quarter 2024 fell 65% on an underwriting loss of $305 million. Travelers posted first quarter net income of about $395 million compared to about $1.1 billion during the first quarter of 2024....
