Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Liberty Specialty Markets Launches German Terrorism Insurance Coverage
Jan 20 2021 // Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has launched new terrorism insurance coverage in the German market, effective immediately. Since LSM entered the market in 2018, business written...
Hurricane-Force Winds Caused Extensive Damage in North Dakota
Jan 19 2021 // A weather system packing hurricane-force wind gusts has caused extensive damage and power outages in western and central North Dakota. The National Weather Service reported wind gusts of 77 mph at Garrison, 81 mph in...
How Climate Change May Affect Hurricane Risk and Losses: AIR, Brookings, AXIS
Jan 19 2021 // By 2050, climate change-related weather events will have a meaningful impact on future hurricane losses, increasing them by 20% or more and in some cases doubling them, even without any increase in the concentration of...
Indonesia Earthquake Leaves Thousands Homeless, Killing at Least 84 People
Jan 19 2021 // MAMUJU, Indonesia (AP) – Aid was reaching the thousands of people left homeless and struggling after an earthquake that killed at least 84 people on an Indonesian island where rescuers intensified their work Monday to...
Louisiana Citizens Opens Search for Catastrophe Service Vendors
Jan 19 2021 // Request for Proposals Announcement Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. (“LCPIC”), has released a new request for proposals for vendors to service insurance claims after a catastrophe, such as in...
FEMA Urges Hurricane Zeta Victims in Louisiana to File for Assistance
Jan 14 2021 // Louisianans who suffered damage from Hurricane Zeta in Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and Terrebonne parishes should register for federal disaster assistance as soon as possible, FEMA says. The...
Agent Standards Among Texas Windstorm Insurer’s Legislative Proposals
Jan 12 2021 // In its recently published report to the legislature, the windstorm insurer of last resort for properties along the Texas coast has proposed several operational changes, including one that would allow it to develop...
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...
