Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Burden of proof to determine insurance coverage in ‘slab’ case

Nov 20 2006 // When asked to determine coverage under an insurance policy, courts frequently recite the principle that the insured has the burden of proving coverage under the policy and the insurer has the burden of proving exclusions...

Southeast regulators united in call for national disaster plan

Nov 20 2006 // The New Madrid fault line, the Atlantic hurricane season and tornado alley are just a few factors that weigh heavily on the minds — and regulatory decisions — of insurance regulators in the southeastern United...

Democratic Congress OK for industry traditionally tied to Republicans

Nov 20 2006 // The new Congress may be blue on Capitol Hill, but insiders say that’s not necessarily a bad color for the insurance industry. “The more things change, the more they may remain pretty much the same,” said...

News Currents

Nov 19 2006 // Southeast regulators united in call for national disaster plan The New Madrid fault line, the Atlantic hurricane season and tornado alley are just a few factors that weigh heavily on the minds — and regulatory...

IIAT survey finds coastal insurance market tighter; more expensive

Nov 19 2006 // Property insurance along the Texas coast is getting harder to find plus premiums and deductibles are increasing, according to results from a survey of independent insurance agents. Respondents are members of the...

Burden of proof to determine insurance coverage in ‘slab’ case

Nov 19 2006 // When asked to determine coverage under an insurance policy, courts frequently recite the principle that the insured has the burden of proving coverage under the policy and the insurer has the burden of proving exclusions...

Democratic Congress OK for industry traditionally tied to Republicans

Nov 19 2006 // News Currents The new Congress may be blue on Capitol Hill, but insiders say that’s not necessarily a bad color for the insurance industry. “The more things change, the more they may remain pretty much the...

At Least 3 Dead in N.C. Tornadoes That Swept Across South

Nov 17 2006 // Thunderstorms that tore up homes and buildings across the South hit North Carolina early Thursday, killing at least three people and leaving thousands without power. Another person died Wednesday as a tornado swept through...

Crescent City Harbor Suffers Up To $700K in Tsunami Damages

Nov 17 2006 // The National Weather Service lifted a tsunami advisory hours before powerful waves damaged docks and tore boats from their moorings in Northern California. Forecasters said they were wary of causing chaos along the...

Tsunami Waves Minimal after Undersea Japan Quake

Nov 16 2006 // A strong undersea earthquake south of the Kuril Islands off Japan’s northwest coast, which measured up to 8.1 on the Richter Scale, failed to produce any significant tsunami’s Following the quake, warnings went...

Texas Commissioner Agrees to Windstorm Rate Hikes

Nov 16 2006 // Although not as substantial as those sought by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin signed an order on Nov. 15 giving TWIA rate hikes of 3.7 percent for commercial property...

Hannover Re Posts $486 Million Half-Year Net Income

Nov 15 2006 // Germany’s Hannover Re joined the expanding list of large reinsurers who are having a pretty good year due to the decline in natural catastrophes. The Group earned €380 million ($486 million) in the first six months...

New Research Center in Miss. Aims for Better Hurricane Forecasts

Nov 15 2006 // Scientists at a new research institute are studying ways to improve hurricane forecasts and protect the U.S. Gulf Coast’s natural resources from storms, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...

Fla. Weighs Special Session to Take Up Property Insurance Ideas

Nov 15 2006 // Insurers would be able to buy more reinsurance from the state’s hurricane catastrophe fund and homeowners would be able to buy lower cost policies offering less than complete coverage if recommendations from a...

Guy Carpenter Comments on Catlin Cat Bond Placement

Nov 14 2006 // Guy Carpenter, the global risk and reinsurance specialist of the Marsh & McLennan Companies and its affiliate MMC Securities Ltd., noted their role as advisors in the completion of a multi-territory, multi-peril...

ISO Chief: It’s ‘Haves’ Vs. ‘Have-Nots’ in Insurance Technology Race for Survival

Nov 14 2006 // Spurred by intensifying competition, breakthroughs in analytics are transforming insurance markets, according to an industry leader. Sophisticated insurers able to harness large volumes of high-quality data to drive...

A year after Katrina, commercial property market ‘bleak’ in New Orleans

Nov 6 2006 // Placing of business is harder than it has ever been, agent says We insure a business in French Quarter in New Orleans which was unaffected by the flooding from Katrina and for the most part had fairly limited windstorm...

SOUTHEAST TOPS TOP 10 HURRICANE-PRONE AREAS

Nov 6 2006 // Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, director of the International Hurricane Research Center at Florida International University, in Miami released the Top 10 List that nobody wants to be on: the 10 Most Vulnerable U.S. Mainland...

Hawaii’s earthquake losses, not earthquake policies, on the rise

Nov 6 2006 // Estimated damages from the two earthquakes that struck Hawaii on Oct. 15 have been rising. Yet the recent disaster has not spurred homeowners and businesses to purchase earthquake coverage, according the state’s...

Hawaii acknowledges tsunami warning deficiencies

Nov 6 2006 // Hawaii may have just suffered through two earthquakes, but the state says it has a potential flood problem. Hawaii’s tsunami warning system has serious deficiencies in reliability and coverage area, according to...