Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
FEMA Looks at Expanded Use of Trains in Hurricane Evacuations
Feb 13 2008 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency may expand the use of passenger trains to evacuate the sick and elderly in advance of hurricanes across the Gulf Coast, a FEMA official said. Glenn Cannon, a FEMA assistant...
National Guard Truck Flips Over on Way to Tenn. Tornado Disaster Site
Feb 12 2008 // A Tennessee National Guard truck on the way to help tornado recovery efforts in Macon County turned over on the side of Interstate 40. Randy Harris, a guard spokesman, said the five-ton truck was among other engineering...
Tennessee Task Force Begins Debris Removal in Wake of Tornadoes
Feb 11 2008 // A multi-agency state task force led by the Tennessee Department of Transportation to help the hardest hit areas with storm debris removal got underway Sunday. Operation “Tennessee Storm” will be aimed at debris...
Texas Urges Verification of Windstorm Insurance Inspectors
Feb 11 2008 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) issued a reminder to consumers that windstorm insurance inspections, which are required for properties to be eligible for wind and hail coverage through the Texas Windstorm Insurance...
Allstate 4Q Profit Falls 37 Percent
Feb 10 2008 // Hit by an increase in catastrophe losses, Northbrook, Ill.-based insurer Allstate Corp. saw its profit drop by more than 37 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006. The fourth quarter net...
More Atlantic Hurricane Activity Doesn’t Mean More Landfall Risk
Feb 10 2008 // New research on the link between the formation of hurricanes in the Atlantic basin and U.S. landfall activity suggests that using Atlantic basin hurricane activity as a proxy for landfall activity can lead to erroneous...
Texas Joins Rest of the U.S. in Profitability Upswing of Last Few Years
Feb 10 2008 // I.I.I.’s Hartwig says the state is still one of the riskiest in which to operate The last few years have been good ones for the property casualty insurance industry in terms of profitability. But it’s been a...
U.S. Disaster Plan Takes Lessons From Katrina, Calif.’s Wildfires
Feb 10 2008 // Streamlined document called ‘essential tool for emergency managers’ in public and private sectors The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a new comprehensive disaster plan for the country that...
Tenn. Gov. Responds to Deadly Tornadoes That Struck State
Feb 7 2008 // Tenn. Gov. Phil Bredesen received detailed briefings from Tennessee Emergency Management Agency officials in the wake of deadly tornadoes that struck Tennessee on Tuesday. The storms have resulted in 31 fatalities, 150...
Farmers Insurance Mobile Claims Team at Sites of Tenn. Tornadoes
Feb 7 2008 // Farmers Insurance Group of Companies has mobilized additional claims personnel to the areas impacted by the recent tornadoes in Tennessee. As of Wednesday Farmers has received more than 100 claims in Tennessee. The Farmers...
Super Tuesday Tornadoes Tear Through U.S. Mid-South
Feb 7 2008 // More than two dozen tornadoes tore through the mid-South late Tuesday night, destroying homes, barns, and industrial buildings from Texas to Ohio. The severe thunderstorm outbreak, which included tornadoes, hail, heavy...
Ark. Gov. Declares 10 Counties Disaster Areas After Tornadoes, Storms
Feb 7 2008 // Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has declared Baxter, Conway, Independence, Izard, Pope, Randolph, Sharp, Stone, Union and Van Buren Counties state disaster areas due to the damage caused by powerful tornadoes and violent...
Travelers Deploys Response Units to States Affected by Tornadoes
Feb 7 2008 // Travelers mobilized its catastrophe response unit Wednesday including sending four mobile claim headquarters to tornado-affected areas in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. The mobile units will be strategically...
Caribbean Cat Risk Facility Announces Changes for Renewals
Feb 6 2008 // The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) announced the approval of several new measures to be implemented for the 2008 renewal period. “The changes are all meant to further satisfy the objective of...
Brutal Tornadoes Lacerate Southern States Killing at Least 48 People
Feb 6 2008 // A severe weather front fell upon the Southern states inciting a series of strong tornadoes that moved across Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, wreaking damage and killing at least 48. As the information of the...
Former Hurricane Program Manager to Head Ala. Emergency Agency
Feb 1 2008 // Alabama Gov. Bob Riley appointed Brock Long to serve as director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. Long has served in emergency management at the state and federal levels specializing in hurricane planning and...
GAO Urges Changes in Wind, Flood Damage Determinations
Feb 1 2008 // Government adjusters trying to assess the accuracy of flood claims payments from the 2005 hurricane season were hampered by a lack of access to data on wind damage from the National Flood Insurance Program and private...
Allstate 4Q Profit Falls 37% as Calif. Wildfire Losses Top $300M
Jan 31 2008 // Hit by an increase in catastrophe losses, Northbrook, Ill.-based insurer Allstate Corp. saw its profit drop by more than 37 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006. The fourth quarter net...
Neb. Proposal Would Bar Gun Seizures after Catastrophes
Jan 30 2008 // Should disaster strike and chaos ensue, Nebraskans could be forced to give up their guns, under current law. That’s what happened in New Orleans, when police seized guns after Hurricane Katrina walloped the city in...
9th Windstorm Insurance Forum to Focus on Fla. Property Concerns
Jan 30 2008 // The concerns of property insurance in Florida and the perils facing the property insurance industry are some of the key issues to be addressed at the Ninth Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference, set for Feb. 4 – 7 in...
