Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hurricane forecasters agree: busy season ahead
Jun 4 2007 // Weather forecasters differ somewhat in their methodologies and numbers but appear to agree on one matter: the 2007 hurricane season looks to be a busy one along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. They predict that anywhere from...
Why the United States must make TRIA permanent
Jun 4 2007 // In the past five years, we have heard an overwhelming response from policyholders across the country — TRIA works. It is important to take a moment to talk about the importance of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act and...
Insurers try to prevent losses in wildfire hotspots
Jun 4 2007 // Spooked by devastating wildfire seasons, the nation’s top insurers are inspecting homes in high-risk areas throughout the West and threatening to cancel coverage if owners don’t clear brush or take other...
Minimizing risks for global catastrophes
Jun 4 2007 // Managing catastrophe risk is one of the biggest challenges facing any company’s risk manager. For multinational companies, the challenge of managing catastrophe risk is especially daunting. In the United States, risk...
Swiss Re Sponsors $100 Million Mediterranean Earthquake Risk Bond
Jun 1 2007 // Swiss Re announced that it has obtained $100 million of protection against earthquake risk in Turkey, Greece, Israel, Portugal and Cyprus through a securitization – the first time the capital markets have been tapped...
Hurricane Forecaster Gray, Like Others, Expects Above Normal Activity
May 31 2007 // As the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season became official, Colorado State University’s well-known weather researcher William Gray stood by his earlier April prediction that this will be a storm period “much more...
S.C. Inspectors Scurry to Check Sun City Roofs Before Hurricanes Start
May 31 2007 // Home inspectors are rushing to check roofs in South Carolina’s Sun City Hilton Head development before the heart of hurricane season to see if trusses were properly built and can handle high winds. Beaufort County is...
R.I. House Members Unveil Bills Curbing Insurers’ Coastal Practices
May 31 2007 // The leaders of a special Rhode Island House commission studying the effects of natural disasters on property insurance costs have introduced legislation they say is aimed at protecting coastal homeowners from...
Willis Reports on Property Market
May 31 2007 // Global broker Willis, in its latest “Property Alert” indicates that the “the global capacity, pricing regimens, terms and conditions for both Cat Risks and non-Cat Risks in the global property insurance...
National Cat Fund Gains Congressional Support … But Is It Enough?
May 30 2007 // Unlike Florida’s Capitol in Tallahassee, where lawmakers have taken a number of actions to address the state’s insurance crisis with arguable results, solutions at the federal level have been hard to come...
Greenberg: TRIA Necessary But National Disaster Insurance Plan Isn’t
May 30 2007 // Exclusive Video Interview Greenberg Interview, Take 5: Product Innovation; TRIA; Cat Plan The nation needs the federal government to backup the private terrorism insurance market but does not need similar government...
U.S. Oil Industry Preps for Gulf Storm Season
May 30 2007 // If you think gasoline prices are high now, consider the eye-popping possibilities if another monster storm pummels the Gulf of Mexico this hurricane season, the way Katrina and Rita battered the petroleum-rich waters in...
Earthquake Rumbles Southeast Okla.
May 30 2007 // A small earthquake and two aftershocks rumbled parts of Pittsburg County, Okla., on Sunday, May 27, the Oklahoma Geological Survey reported. The earthquake happened about 4 p.m. and measured 3.2 on the Richter scale, said...
S.C. Gov. Sanford: Locals, Not Feds, Must Control Hurricane Response
May 29 2007 // South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford repeated calls last week for state and local officials, not the federal government, to retain control during hurricane response efforts. The Republican governor said the lack of preparation...
Utilities, Insurers Say They’re Better Prepared for Hurricane Season
May 29 2007 // Forecasts for a busier-than-normal hurricane season mean added pressure on the utility and insurance industries, but they say they’re more prepared to absorb a catastrophic hit. Power utilities have invested in...
R.I. House Members to Introduce Hurricane Insurance Bills
May 29 2007 // The leaders of a special Rhode Island House commission studying the effects of natural disasters on property insurance costs plan to introduce legislation next week on insurance practices connected to hurricane...
Insurer Helps Develop Hurricane Plan for Newport’s Picturesque Mansions
May 25 2007 // Perched on the picturesque Rhode Island coastline, the 11 Newport Mansions are a national treasure. Once a summer getaway for the country’s wealthiest industrialists, today the historic mansions are a tourist...
Citizens Approves Liquidity Plan for 2007 Fla. Hurricane Season
May 25 2007 // Citizens Property Insurance Corp. board of governors approved a $1.95 billion financing plan that includes a letter of credit and bond sales to cover future hurricane losses in Florida. “A great deal has been...
Detailed Database of Global Terrorism Attacks Now Available Online
May 25 2007 // What researchers say is the world’s largest unclassified database of terrorism attacks is now available online for general use by researchers, policy-makers, media and the general public. The Global Terrorism...
Ala.: Sumter County Wildfire Apparent Arson
May 25 2007 // A wildfire apparently intentionally set scorched more than 700 acres in a remote area of Sumter County and sent heavy smoke over Alabama Highway 17, forcing an overnight traffic detour. Firefighters battled the flames for...
