Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Tornado in Houston Suburb Damages Apartment Complex, Displaces 100s
Jan 11 2021 // A tornado swept through a portion of a city in suburban Houston, displacing about 500 people from a damaged apartment complex, officials said on Jan. 7. A strong storm swept through Texas City around 6 p.m. on Jan. 6,...
Texas Denies Windstorm Insurer’s Rate Hike Request
Jan 11 2021 // Texas regulators have denied a request for a 5% rate increase by the state’s insurer of last resort for wind and hail for properties along the Texas coast. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has rejected the...
One Catastrophic Failure to Manage Risks
Jan 8 2021 // Wednesday, January 6, 2021, was a historic day in the US. It could have been historic because the US Congress was voting to certify an election. That happens every four years. Most of the time, it’s with little...
Nashville Businesses Await FBI Decision On if Bombing Was Terrorist Act
Jan 8 2021 // The FBI investigation into whether the Nashville bombing was a terrorist act has sparked criticism about a possible racial double standard and drawn questions from downtown business owners whose insurance coverage could be...
Global Natural Catastrophes Cost $210 Billion in 2020: Munich Re
Jan 7 2021 // Natural catastrophes around the world resulted in $210 billion in damage in 2020, with the United States especially hard hit by hurricanes and wildfires, a top insurer said on Thursday. The damage, tallied by the German...
Study Shows Impact of Property Protections on Texas Windstorm Insurer Rates
Jan 7 2021 // A report prepared by Willis Towers Watson showing the potential impact of increased coastal building standards on premium rates for Texas’ property insurer of last resort for coastal counties is now available for...
Hurricane Delta Disaster Declaration in Louisiana Expanded
Jan 6 2021 // Two Louisiana parishes have been added to the federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Delta. Survivors in Allen and Iberia parishes are now eligible for federal disaster assistance for uninsured and underinsured damage...
Mississippi Disaster Request Approved for Hurricane Zeta
Jan 6 2021 // The Trump administration has approved Gov. Tate Reeves’ request for federal help following Hurricane Zeta. President Donald Trump declared the disaster on New Year’s Eve, ordering federal aid to help South...
Lava Spatters, Flows Inside Crater of Hawaii Volcano
Jan 5 2021 // Lava spattered and flowed over the weekend inside the crater of a Hawaii volcano that began erupting in December. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the lava is confined to the summit crater of Kilauea, the Honolulu...
Alaska Scientists Find Slope with Tsunami Potential
Jan 4 2021 // Alaska scientists have found a second slope that has the potential to create a landslide or a destructive tsunami to its surrounding area. The slope in the Prince William Sound area is next to a previously discovered slope...
California Releases Final ZIPs for Non-Renewal Protection for 2020 Wildfires
Jan 4 2021 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced that nearly 500 policyholders in six ZIP codes affected by the Mountain View Fire in Mono County were included in the mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance...
5.7 Earthquake Confirmed 127 Miles Off Oregon Coast
Dec 30 2020 // A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck about 127 miles off the Oregon coast early Tuesday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The earthquake struck at 4:50 a.m. west of Bandon, Oregon, the agency said. The Northwest...
Rescuers Race to Find Survivors After Croatia’s Worst Earthquake in 140 Years
Dec 30 2020 // Rescuers raced to search for survivors amid strong aftershocks after Croatia’s worst earthquake in 140 years killed seven people and devastated cities and towns in one of the nation’s poorest regions. The...
How Agents Can Help Floridians Navigate Hurricane Season Aftermath
Dec 30 2020 // The 2020 hurricane season was one for the books. From ferocious storms battering the Gulf Coast to heavy rains inundating the Florida Panhandle, the Atlantic saw an unprecedented amount of activity this year. The Weather...
Earthquake Confirmed in Northern California
Dec 29 2020 // A magnitude 3.9 earthquake rattled parts of Northern California on Sunday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The earthquake was reported at 6:44 a.m. about 14 miles from Chico. The quake was felt 25 miles away...
2 Months After Hurricanes, Recovery Elusive for Louisiana Residents
Dec 27 2020 // As southwest Louisiana recovers from the back-to-back hurricanes that hammered the region this year, signs of progress compete with lingering evidence of mass destruction. The fallen trees that carpeted neighborhoods have...
Seattle Scaling Back Bridge Earthquake Retrofit Work
Dec 23 2020 // The Seattle Department of Transportation now says reinforcing 16 bridges to better withstand eartquakes would cost hundreds of millions of dollars more than once expected. The Seattle Times reports that instead of 16...
Kilauea Volcano Erupting on Hawaii’s Big Island
Dec 22 2020 // The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island has erupted, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The eruption began late Sunday within the within Halema’uma’u crater. The volcano is located within Hawaii...
Small Earthquake Confirmed Near Colorado-Utah Border
Dec 21 2020 // A small earthquake hit a rural area Saturday near the Colorado-Utah border, the University of Utah Seismograph Stations confirmed. The magnitude 4.3 earthquake took place at 7:11 p.m on Saturday. The epicenter was 3 1/2...
The Other New Normal: Wildfires from a Winery Insurer’s Perspective
Dec 21 2020 // Arriving on the scene after a wildfire has ravaged an area is never easy. One can only imagine what experiencing such devastation is like for the victims of these fires, who have lost homes, livelihoods and even loved...
