Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
Harleysville Insurance Hammered by 2d Quarter Catastrophe Losses
Jul 10 2008 // Regional property/casualty insurer Harleysville Group Inc. reported that estimated second quarter catastrophe losses from storms in the Midwest and elsewhere will be the most the insurer has faced in a quarter in more than...
2008 Catastrophe Losses Already Exceed 2007; On Track to Pass 2006
Jul 9 2008 // A large number of exteme weather events pummeled the United States in the first half of the year, and worldwide 2008 may go down in history as a year with one of the highest number of natural catastrophe victims, according...
InsuranceLeadz.com and Middle Cross Software Partner to Launch New Service Called Typhoon
Jul 9 2008 // InsuranceLeadz.com would like to announce its partnership of Middle Cross Software to launch their new Quote Burst Typhoon service line for Allstate insurance agents. This new service will allow Allstate insurance agents...
Colo., Texas Lead the Top 10 Most Tornado Prone Areas
Jul 9 2008 // The rural area to the northeast of Denver, Colo., tops the nation when it comes to regions most prone to tornados, according to Boston-based CDS Business Mapping LLC, an online hazard mapping firm. The top 10 most tornado...
Minn. Experts: Garage Doors Can be Weak Point in Tornado Damage
Jul 8 2008 // When high winds from tornados and severe storms hit, a house’s garage door can be a weak point. And sometimes if a garage door goes, it can be the first step in a disastrous chain reaction. Minnesota has recently...
Florida Approves $224 Million Plan to Bolster State Catastrophe Fund
Jul 7 2008 // Florida residents might see an increase in property insurance rates because of a plan to bolster the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. State officials last week approved a plan to spend $224 million so that the state can...
Bertha Becomes 2008 Atlantic Season’s First Hurricane
Jul 7 2008 // The National Hurricane Center issued an advisory this morning that Bertha has developed into the season’s first hurricane in the open Atlantic Ocean. The center said Bertha is not an immediate threat to land. At 5...
McCain, Southeast Governors Split Over National Disaster Fund
Jul 7 2008 // Republican Presidential Nominee Opposes Idea that Remains Popular with Many Gulf Coast Voters A congressional proposal to create a national “catastrophe fund” to help states recover from natural disasters has...
Public Adjusters Take the Heat for Reopened Hurricane Claims
Jul 7 2008 // Public adjusters are being blamed for thousands of unresolved insurance claims in Florida dating back to the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. A Florida task force monitoring how state-backed Citizens Property Insurance...
Firefighters in Stalemate Against Calif. Wildfires
Jul 7 2008 // Firefighters have battled hundreds of wildfires burning throughout Northern California to a stalemate in the past month, but forecasters say dangerous fire conditions will not relent anytime soon. While it is still too...
Japan: Risk and Rewards
Jul 7 2008 // A Glimpse into Japan’s Property and Casualty Market The Japanese property and casualty insurance market is ripe for opportunities, but there also are significant risks in the country, according to Keiji Fukasawa of...
Hurricane Center Tracking ‘Tropical Wave’ in Atlantic Ocean
Jul 2 2008 // The National Hurricane Center in Miami said it is currently tracking a “strong tropical wave over the extreme eastern Atlantic Ocean about 330 miles southeast of Sal in the Cape Verde Islands.” The NHC said...
California Workers’ Comp Insurer Extends Credit to Wildfire Victims
Jul 2 2008 // California State Compensation Insurance Fund announced that it will extend credit to policyholders who have suffered a financial loss or business disruption caused by the hundreds of wildfires burning throughout...
