Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Wilma’s $6 Billion Cost to Insurers Raises Industry’s Catastrophe Loss Total to Record $50 Billion
Nov 29 2005 // U.S. property/casualty insurers are expected to pay an estimated $6.1 billion to Florida policyholders for insured property losses from Hurricane Wilma, pushing year-to-date catastrophe losses to $50.3 billion, an all-time...
Experts Predict More Advances Soon in Ability to Predict Hurricanes
Nov 28 2005 // Hurricane Wilma was briefly the most intense Atlantic storm on record as it moved through the Caribbean toward the Gulf Coast. That was the last thing Gulf residents wanted to hear. Two months earlier, Hurricane Katrina...
Munich Re Issues $128.7 Million Windstorm Cat Bonds
Nov 28 2005 // Cat bonds seem to be enjoying something of a revival in Europe, largely as a response to increased windstorm and flood losses, as well as the passage of Hurricane Katrina. Munich Re recently increased its commitment to...
Wellington Increases Loss Estimates from Fall Hurricanes
Nov 28 2005 // The U.K.’s Wellington Underwriting plc, whose wholly owned subsidiary Wellington Underwriting Agencies Ltd. manages Syndicate 2020 at Lloyd’s, has released a further update about the extent of losses sustained...
From Snowfall to Tornadoes, Storms Cause Deaths and Property Loss
Nov 28 2005 // Piles of snow and icy roads definitely were not what most Thanksgiving travelers wanted to deal with on their way home from the long holiday weekend. Meantime, tornadoes tore through several states damaging...
Busiest Hurricane Season on Record Ends Nov. 30
Nov 28 2005 // Hurricane Season 2005 officially comes to a close Wednesday Nov. 30 and according to Tom Gallagher, Florida’s CFO, people will be dealing with the aftermath for years to come. Nationwide, this season was the busiest...
R.I. Researchers to Create Tsunami Hazard Maps for East Coast
Nov 25 2005 // Two University of Rhode Island researchers have been awarded an $86,000 grant from FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers, to create maps of the East Coast of the U.S. that will identify...
Texas Recovering from Hurricane Rita
Nov 25 2005 // Most insurance agents in Texas have never faced the damage caused by a catastrophic storm. Thankfully, massive hailstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes have been few and far between in our state. But, Hurricane Rita changed...
A Year After Tornado, Insurers Still Assessing Olla, La., School
Nov 25 2005 // A year after tornadoes tore up Olla, La., the auditorium at LaSalle High School still has no roof. Boards cover school windows; the gym door swings open with each gust of wind. The building has been gutted, but no other...
Jacksonville Planners Preparing for 2006 Hurricane Season
Nov 25 2005 // Jacksonville, Fla. residents should begin to prepare now for the 2006 hurricane season according to Chip Patterson, chief of the city’s Emergency Preparedness Division. Patterson recently told the Chamber of...
Florida’s CFO Gallagher Backs National Catastrophe Fund
Nov 25 2005 // A National Catastrophe Fund that would provide assistance for insurance claims in Florida has been endorsed by Tom Gallagher, Florida’s CFO. The CFO’s recommendations came after officials, including Florida...
Endurance Estimates Hurricane Wilma Net Losses at $115 Million
Nov 24 2005 // Bermuda-based Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. announced its initial estimate of losses, net of reinsurance, reinstatement premiums, and tax benefits related to Hurricane Wilma to be approximately $115 million. Endurance...
EFI Global Answers Largest Number of Hurricane Calls Ever
Nov 24 2005 // EFI Global, a provider of forensic engineering, fire investigation, environmental, accident reconstruction and laboratory testing services, continues to deploy experts to the Hurricane ravaged areas of Southeast Texas,...
More Help on the Way for Hurricane Evacuees in Texas
Nov 24 2005 // Evacuees from hurricanes Katrina and Rita living in Texas now have another way to help themselves move toward recovery through the Housing, Employment, Location, and Placement (HELP) Program, which is available from the...
Disaster Recovery Officials on the Prowl for Fraudulent Claims After Hurricanes
Nov 24 2005 // Numerous federal agencies have dispatched teams of special agents to investigate fraudulent claims from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency...
Firemen Fight Blaze at Hurricane Wilma Miami-Dade County, Fla. Debris Site
Nov 23 2005 // A four-story high pile of Hurricane Wilma debris caught fire on Wednesday at a staging area on Dove Avenue in Miami Springs, Fla. According to NBC6-TV in Miami, the fire sent a huge plume of smoke into the air over...
Hurricane Issues on Agenda at Fla. Legislators Dec. 5 Event
Nov 23 2005 // Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said state lawmakers will likely deal with some hurricane issues when they meet in a special session beginning Dec. 5. The governor said it would probably make sense to address some hurricane issues,...
Best Study Analyzes Catastrophe Rating Methodology
Nov 22 2005 // A.M. Best Co. has issued a study, which concludes that catastrophic loss, both natural and man-made, is “the number one threat to the financial strength and credit quality of property and casualty insurers due to the...
Big ‘I’ Leader Says Hurricane Response ‘Too Slow;’ Hails Flood Reform, TRIA Progress
Nov 22 2005 // The insurance industry’s response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has been “too slow” and the job of adjusting claims is a long way from being completed in the view of the leader of the nation’s...
Iowa Tornadoes Leave 1 Dead, 70 Homes Damaged
Nov 21 2005 // Nearly one week after tornadoes left more than 20 dead in Indiana, tornadoes on Nov. 12 killed at least one woman and destroyed 70 homes in Iowa. At least three twisters hit two counties in the towns of Stratford and...
