Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
NHC Director: Homes Meeting New Building Codes Fared Better in Hurricanes
May 12 2005 // Upgrading older homes to meet new building standards, which require new homes to withstand hurricane-force winds, is a key to surviving hurricanes, Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami,...
Hanover Insurance Goes to Bat for Tornadoes, Worcester’s Newest Team
May 11 2005 // The Hanover Insurance Company and Worcester (Mass.) Professional Baseball, LLC, today announced that they have reached an agreement for Hanover to be the primary sponsor for the Worcester Tornadoes. The Tornadoes are the...
S&P Reports on 5 Bermuda Property Catastrophe Reinsurers
May 10 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued a report, entitled “Peer Comparison: Bermuda Property Catastrophe Reinsurers,” which examines the differences between five of the island’s...
Governor Proclaims May 15-21 Hurricane Preparedness Week in N.C.
May 10 2005 // North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley has proclaimed May 15-21 hurricane preparedness week, just as a new survey of residents from Florida to Maine shows that people are not worried about hurricane season. The Mason-Dixon poll...
2,500 Attending Fla. Conference; Prepare for June 1 Hurricane Season
May 10 2005 // A record turnout of more than 2,500 conferees are attending the 2005 Governor’s Conference at the Tampa Convention Center, where they are learning about hurricane prediction, precautions and disaster management. The...
Fla. Water Management Officials Prepare for Hurricane Season
May 9 2005 // Florida water management officials have begun their annual drawdown of 17 lakes in the Kissimmee Basin, near Orlando, in anticipation of the upcoming hurricane season and are starting to put lessons into effect they...
‘Mixed Feelings’ Result as Fla. Legislature Passes SB 1486; Carriers’ Burdens Could Increase Overall Costs
May 9 2005 // The Florida Legislature debated SB 1486, an 83-page insurance bill, until the early morning hours on Saturday and approved a document that makes major changes in how claims will be handled, starting with the next storm....
Natl. Hurricane Center Director Advises ‘Plan Ahead’
May 9 2005 // Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center’s visited Jacksonville May 6 as part of the center’s annual hurricane awareness tour. Students got a chance to hear from hurricane experts and check out a...
Hurricane-Strength Wind Gusts Hit N.C. Outer Banks
May 9 2005 // A storm system which included hurricane-strength wind gusts up to 115 mph hit North Carolina’s Outer Banks Friday as a storm system pushed through North Carolina, bringing wind gusts and driving rain. According to...
Hurricane Forecast: New Jersey To Get Hit Sooner or Later
May 9 2005 // For decades, New Jersey has been spared the wrath of major hurricanes, the storms usually veering out to sea before they can wreak havoc on the densely developed coast. But eventually the state’s luck will run out,...
Nearly Half of Large and Mid-Sized U.S. Businesses Buy Terror Coverage
May 9 2005 // Nearly half of large and mid-sized U.S. businesses obtained insurance to cover property terrorism risks during 2004, a dramatic increase from the 2003 average of 27 percent. Businesses in Boston and Washington, D.C. led...
HIGHWAY SAFETY, TERRORISM EXCLUSION HIGHLIGHT IDAHO LEG. SESSION:
May 9 2005 // Idaho’s 2005 legislative session was marked as much by what legislation was passed as by what was not passed, according to the American Insurance Association. “Idaho legislators and Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (R)...
Fla. Legislature Approves Hurricane Savings Accounts
May 5 2005 // Florida CEO Tom Gallagher affirmed that the Legislature has approved a measure laying the groundwork to enable residents to establish hurricane savings accounts and protect those accounts from creditors, but, Congress...
ICT: Texas Led Nation in Q1 Catastrophes
May 4 2005 // The Insurance Council of Texas reported that a series of thunderstorms that pummeled portions of the Hill Country and central Texas in late March resulted in Texas leading the nation in insured losses during the first...
Lloyd’s Chairman Highlights Three Important Hurricane Lessons
May 4 2005 // Three important lessons from the 2004 hurricane season were highlighted to more than 100 insurance professionals Wednesday in Miami by Lloyd’s Chairman Lord Levene, in advance of what is predicted to be another tough...
Fla. Sets Groundwork for Hurricane Savings Accounts
May 4 2005 // Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher today applauded state lawmakers for approving a measure that lays the groundwork for Floridians to set up hurricane savings accounts and protect these accounts from...
Best Affirms RenRe Subs Ratings; Downgrades Credit and Debt Ratings; Removes Ratings From Review
May 3 2005 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has affirmed the financial strength rating of “A+” (Superior) of Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. (RenRe Ltd.) and the financial strength ratings of “A” (Excellent) of...
AAMGA Ethics Workshop Topic: Insurance Industry Pressures
May 2 2005 // “Ethics in the Wholesale Insurance Marketplace” workshops concluded on Saturday afternoon with a round-table discussion, led by Ernest Csiszar, president of the Property and Casualty Insurance Association of...
‘Miss Piggy,’ Hurricane Center Forecasters to Visit Charleston, S.C., Jacksonville, Fla.
Apr 29 2005 // Charleston, S.C. and Jacksonville, Fla. are two of five cities NOAA National Hurricane Center forecasters and NOAA Aircraft Operations Center crew will visit during a May 2-6, five-day mission. The purpose of the tour is...
FEMA Director Defends Agency; Critics Claim Payments Slow, Exaggerated Death Benefits
Apr 29 2005 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency is being criticized in Florida for being too slow to pay counties for hurricane claims and too aggressive in paying benefits for people who died during last year’s hurricanes;...
