Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas, Mexico Prepare for Dolly, Residents Board Up, Some Evacuate
Jul 23 2008 // Residents along the Texas-Mexico border kept a watchful eye on Tropical Storm Dolly, stocking up on plywood, generators and flashlights as forecasters predicted the storm would strengthen into a hurricane by later...
FEMA Planning Earthquake Forum in Indiana
Jul 23 2008 // One of two federal government-sponsored forums in Midwestern cities to help businesses prepare for a major earthquake will be held in Evansville. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says the goal of the...
Texas Windstorm Pool: No Policies Issued With Hurricane in the Gulf
Jul 22 2008 // With Tropical Storm Dolly roiling it’s way into probable hurricane status, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association issued a reminder to agents that once a “hurricane enters the Gulf of Mexico or is within the...
Strong Quake Shake Northern Japan Coast But No Tsunami Danger
Jul 22 2008 // A strong earthquake with a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the northern Japanese coast Monday, but there was no danger of a tsunami, the nation’s weather agency said. The quake occurred at 8:30 p.m., about 20...
Tornado Threats Loom Large as Flood Waters Recede
Jul 21 2008 // Much has been written in the last six weeks about the 2008 Midwest Flood. Many are saying the devastation will rival the Great Flood of 1993, and that the crop damage will affect the food supply of this country. While that...
Obtaining Optimal Catastrophe Coverage
Jul 21 2008 // In the midst of hurricane season, insurance agents and brokers are reminded of the need for forward-thinking solutions that will help them obtain the best-possible catastrophe coverage for their clients. Following the 2005...
U.S. P/C Insurers’ Catastrophe Losses for Q2 Double to $6 Billion; Average Claim $5K
Jul 21 2008 // U.S. property/casualty insurers are expected to pay homeowners and businesses an estimated $6.025 billion for second quarter property losses resulting from a total of 16 catastrophes in 27 states, which is nearly double...
Midwest States High on List for Numbers of Tornadoes
Jul 21 2008 // While a rural area to the northeast of Denver, Colo., tops the nation when it comes to metropolitan areas most prone to tornadoes, Texas leads the states in the average total number of tornadoes per year in the continental...
Forecast: Tropical Storm Dolly to Become Hurricane, Hit Southern Texas
Jul 21 2008 // Tropical Storm Dolly churned toward southern Texas Monday, and forecasters said they expected it to grow into a hurricane before hitting land near the Mexican border later this week. The storm, with sustained winds of...
Tropical Storm Cristobal Rumbles off the Carolinas
Jul 21 2008 // Tropical Storm Cristobal, the first tropical storm to menace the Southeast seaboard this hurricane season, sent outer bands of intermittent rain lashing the eastern Carolinas July 19 as forecasters predicted it could dump...
Tropical Storm Dolly Enters Gulf, Texas May Be Target
Jul 21 2008 // The National Hurricane Center reported at 11 a.m. EDT on July 21 that Tropical Storm Dolly had crossed Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and entered the Gulf of Mexico. A hurricane watch was issued for the Texas coast from...
Washington Offers Assistance to Homeowners Hit by Wildfires
Jul 18 2008 // As wildfires erupt across Eastern Washington, state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler urges homeowners needing help with their insurance claims to call the Insurance Consumer Hotline (800-562-6900). “Most...
Okla. City to Add Telephones as Tools for Tornado Warnings
Jul 18 2008 // In addition to blaring sirens and screeching weather-radio alerts, residents in Glenpool, Okla., will now have another way of learning about approaching tornadoes: they will get a telephone call. The City Council has...
Preliminary Estimates of Tornado Damage in North Dakota Top $1 Million
Jul 18 2008 // A preliminary estimate of damage from the tornado that struck Rolla, Norht Dakota last week now tops $1 million. Rolette County Tax Director Diane Schwandt expects that estimate to grow. Schwandt says property owners are...
Carvill Sees Rising Interest in Trading for Hurricane Derivative Products
Jul 17 2008 // Independent reinsurance broker Carvill reports that trading in its derivative contracts for hurricane risk continues to grow. The Carvill Hurricane Index trades on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). As news of...
Wildfires Bring Demand for Private Firefighters
Jul 17 2008 // Seated behind the wheel of a fire engine, Dave Breglia follows a map dotted with expensive homes threatened by wildfires. His job: protect high-end real estate and save an insurance company millions of dollars. “I...
Insurance Agents, Travelers, Nationwide Urge Coastal Wind Policy
Jul 16 2008 // Travelers, Nationwide Mutual and two leading national insurance producer organizations are supporting a plan they say will make private windstorm insurance more affordable and available in coastal areas. Federal...
Iowa Attorney General Warns About Scams After Tornadoes and Floods
Jul 16 2008 // Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Attorney General Tom Miller recently reminded Iowans to beware of a variety of scams in the wake of the tornadoes and floods over the last several weeks. “It’s the definition of adding...
Economic Downturn Dooms Florida Hurricane Supplies Tax Break
Jul 14 2008 // Economic woes have forced Florida lawmakers to ax a pair of popular tax breaks as parents prepare to return their children to school next month and the state readies itself for hurricane season. Prompted by dismal revenue...
Majority of California Wildfires Contained, 100 Homes Destroyed
Jul 14 2008 // More than 1,400 fires that burned as part of California’s lightining series have been contained due to the endless efforts of firefighters from California, as well as from throughout the nation and Canada, according...
