Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Henriette Reaches Hurricane Strength; Threatens Baja Calif.

Sep 4 2007 // Felix has a little sister in the Pacific Ocean that has already caused the deaths of 8 people from landslides triggered by heavy rains near Acapulco. The storm first formed last Thursday, Aug. 30, and has been steadily...

Calif. Bill to Lower Industry Support for Earthquake Coverage

Sep 4 2007 // California homeowners who buy earthquake insurance through the state-run California Earthquake Authority (CEA) could see their premiums rise under a bill that passed an Assembly committee over opposition from the state...

House Panel to Hear Catastrophe Insurance Plan Bill on Sept. 6

Sep 4 2007 // A House subcommittee will hear testimony this week on a bill to encourage states to pool their catastrophe pool risks and then transfer them to the private mamrket. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, chairman of the Subcommittee on...

States, federal agencies try to keep up with wildfires

Sep 3 2007 // The National Interagency Fire Center has raised the national wildfire preparedness level to its highest degree to free up help from cooperating firefighting agencies at home and abroad in places such as Canada. Meanwhile,...

Insurance company protecting pricey Idaho homes from wildfire

Sep 3 2007 // Idaho’s Sun Valley Insurance is doing everything it can to keep claims at bay during wildfire season — including sending in a fire truck to cover million-dollar homes threatened by a wildfire outside the...

States, federal agencies try to keep up with wildfires

Sep 3 2007 // With major fires burning in more than a dozen states and officials on high alert for more, authorities are scrambling to contain the blazes and keep new ones from igniting, despite unfavorable weather and strained...

Cat modeling pioneer Clark forms consulting firm

Sep 3 2007 // Catastrophe modeling pioneer and founder of the firm AIR, Karen Clark, has formed a new firm –Karen Clark & Co. — to help companies better use catastrophe models. The Boston firm will offer consulting...

Insurance company protecting pricey Idaho homes from wildfire

Sep 3 2007 // Idaho’s Sun Valley Insurance is doing everything it can to keep claims at bay during wildfire season — including sending in a fire truck to cover million-dollar homes threatened by a wildfire outside the...

Hurricane Felix Hits Netherlands Antilles

Sep 2 2007 // The second strong hurricane of the season, Felix, is currently roiling the waters of the Southern Caribbean, as it passes over the Netherlands Antilles. The islands – Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba are close to the...

Poolman: N.D. Tornado Damage to Exceed $27 Million

Aug 31 2007 // North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jim Poolman today reported that an F-4 tornado that tore through the Northwood area last Sunday has caused approximately $27 million in damage to private and public property in the area....

National Hurricane Center Hires Acting Deputy Director

Aug 29 2007 // The head of a Texas National Weather Service office will join the staff of the National Hurricane Center, officials announced Monday. Bill Read will become acting deputy director Sept. 4, National Weather Service spokesman...

La.: Hurricanes did $100B in Damage; State Short $34B to Cover Losses

Aug 28 2007 // Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were a $100 billion blow to Louisiana buildings and infrastructure, and federal aid and insurance payments fall about $34 billion short of making up for the losses, a state agency says. The $100...

Federal Funds Issued To Help Pay Ga. Wildfire Costs

Aug 28 2007 // The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized $6.1 million in federal funds to reimburse local and state costs incurred while fighting numerous wildfires in southeast Georgia...

Florida’s Catastrophe Fund Bond Sale Delayed

Aug 27 2007 // The board that invests state money is delaying a bond issue meant to shore up Florida’s backup Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, waiting until financial markets stabilize before completing the bond sale. The state Board of...

Insurance Company Protecting Pricey Idaho Homes from Wildfire

Aug 24 2007 // Idaho’s Sun Valley Insurance is doing everything it can to keep claims at bay during wildfire season — including sending in a firetruck to cover million-dollar homes threatened by a wildfire outside the central...

Crews Subduing Mont. Wildfire; Calif. Fire Shows No Signs of Slowing

Aug 22 2007 // A wildfire that destroyed two homes was no longer threatening a residential area Tuesday and authorities were ready to let evacuees return, a fire chief said. Residents had been ordered to leave the Emerald Hills...

Montana Wildfire Destroys Two Homes, Forces Evacuations

Aug 21 2007 // Two homes were destroyed by a wind-whipped wildfire that forced the evacuation of a 350-home subdivision east of Billings, Mont., authorities said. The fire, estimated at 1,000 acres and growing Monday morning, destroyed...

Dean’s Damages Delimited

Aug 20 2007 // Hurricane Dean, is the most powerful storm to roil the waters of the Caribbean since Wilma in 2005. So far it’s been responsible for at least six deaths. After ravaging Martinique and St. Lucia as a category two...

Minor Earthquake Strikes Southwestern Utah, 150 Miles

Aug 20 2007 // A minor 3.9 magnitude earthquake early Saturday shook southwestern Utah, 150 miles from the collapsed coal mine where six men are missing. The quake hit in a remote area and was unlikely to have caused any damage, said...

States, Federal Agencies Try to Keep Up With Wildfires

Aug 20 2007 // With major fires burning in more than a dozen states and officials on high alert for more, authorities are scrambling to contain the blazes and keep new ones from igniting, despite unfavorable weather and strained...