Latest Catastrophe Headlines

All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.

AIR Estimates Windstorm Xynthia Insured Losses at $2 to $4.1 Billion

Mar 3 2010 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide has estimated that insured losses in France, Belgium, Germany, and Netherlands from winter storm Xynthia will be between €1.5 billion and €3 billion [$2 to $4.1...

Windstorm Xynthia Leaves a Trail of Destruction; RMS Analysis

Mar 2 2010 // Windstorm Xynthia, which swept across Western Europe on Saturday and Sunday, [See IJ web site – https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2010/03/01/107736.htm] left a lot of damage in its wake. The storm...

Catastrophe Firms Analyze, Estimate Losses from Chilean Quake

Mar 2 2010 // Catastrophe modeling firms Air Worldwide, Risk Management Solutions and EQECAT have all released preliminary analysis and estimates of the economic and the insured losses from the devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake that...

Nevada Insurance Division Offers Earthquake Coverage Guide

Mar 2 2010 // Nevada may be the third most-active state for earthquakes after California and Alaska, but most homeowners don’t purchase earthquake insurance coverage. earthquake country, but what many people In light of Nevada...

Some Scientists Defend Tsunami Warnings

Mar 2 2010 // The warning was ominous, its predictions dire: Oceanographers issued a bulletin telling Hawaii and other Pacific islands that a killer wave was heading their way with terrifying force and that “urgent action should...

‘Great Earthquake’ Strikes Chile; 700 Dead; 2 Million Affected

Mar 1 2010 // One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck the central coast of Chile early Saturday morning, February 27. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured the magnitude at 8.8 with severe “shaking...

Earthquakes Should Prompt U.S. to Prepare Now, Says Safety Group

Mar 1 2010 // The tragedies of the recent earthquakes in Chile and Haiti serve as a reminder that parts of the United States are highly vulnerable to the devastating effects of this unpredictable natural disaster. While most Americans...

Louisiana Dedicates Nearly $20M for Hurricane Protection System

Mar 1 2010 // Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said a partnership agreement between the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and the South Lafourche Levee District will dedicate $19.8 million in state surplus funds to make...

Florida Cabinet Delays Hurricane Fund Assessments

Feb 25 2010 // The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund needs $710 million to continue to pay claims still coming in from 2005’s Hurricane Wilma but it is going to have to wait to assess policyholders to get those funds. The Florida...

Texas Catastrophic Weather Losses Totaled $2.5B in 2009

Feb 25 2010 // Texas in 2009 experienced weather catastrophes amounting to more insured losses than any other state. Last year, Texas experienced 10 weather catastrophes that caused nearly $2.5 billion in losses. The next nearest state...

Louisiana: Tax, Premium Advantages Available for Retrofitting Structures

Feb 24 2010 // Louisiana residents can apply for a state tax deduction for retrofitting their homes, as well as an insurance premium discount for building or retrofitting your home to comply with the Louisiana State Uniform Construction...

Hawaii Senate Committee OKs Using Hurricane Relief Fund to End Furloughs

Feb 23 2010 // Hawaii’s Senate Ways and Means Committee has advanced a bill that would use money from the state’s Hurricane Relief Fund to end school furlough days. Senate Bill 2124notes that reductions and restrictions to...

Caribbean Cat Facility Teams with UN Commission for Nat Cat Strategies

Feb 23 2010 // The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC) announced that they will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)...

Missouri Governor: State Must Be Ready for Big Quake

Feb 22 2010 // Most experts believe it’s just a matter of time before another big earthquake strikes along the New Madrid fault line, and Gov. Jay Nixon says Missouri and neighboring states need to be ready. Nixon on Feb. 19...

Idaho Home Insurance Costs Lowest in Nation

Feb 21 2010 // Idaho homeowner insurance is the least costly in the nation, averaging $422 per year, according to a nationwide survey. This compares to an average $822 countrywide. The Gem State also had among the lowest average rates...

Hawaii Could Tap Hurricane Fund to Fund School Education

Feb 21 2010 // Hawaii is closer to tapping its Hurricane Relief Fund to help balance the state budget and resolve teacher furloughs, as a legislative committee advanced a bill that would appropriate $50 million from the fund. Senate Bill...

A Recurrence of Recalls; ‘PIGS’ in a Poke; Lloyd’s Powers on; Haiti Now Faces Floods and Hurricanes

Feb 21 2010 // First Toyota, then Honda – who’s next? 2010 is not starting out as a good year for car companies. Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. was already in the process of recalling approximately 8 million vehicles, due...

Austin Plane Crash – Intentional Act or Terrorism?

Feb 19 2010 // Austin, Texas, Police Chief Art Acevedo stopped short of calling the crashing of a small plane into a commercial office building in northwest Austin on Feb. 18 a terrorist act, but U.S. Representative Mike McCaul said he...

Abacus Insurance Offers Online Earthquake Deductible Buyback

Feb 18 2010 // Abacus Insurance Brokers, Inc., a Los Angeles-based program manager that distributes specialty insurance products online through www.abacus.net, has launched an online program that enables homeowners to reduce the...

Illinois Officials Recommend Review of Earthquake Insurance

Feb 18 2010 // Insurance regulators in Illinois are encouraging residents to review earthquake insurance policies after a small quake was recorded in the state recently. The 3.8-magnitude earthquake surprised northern Illinoisans Feb....