Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Market Tumult Threatens PG&E Deal with California Wildfire Victims
Apr 8 2020 // Lawyers who negotiated a crucial $13.5 billion deal for the victims of deadly wildfires caused by Pacific Gas & Electric equipment are expressing serious doubts about whether the nation’s largest utility will be...
Failure to Act on Climate Change Could Make Weather Risks Uninsurable: Swiss Re
Apr 8 2020 // Global warming will lead to growing intensity and frequency of severe weather events, rising losses, as well as greater uncertainty in the assessment of these events by the insurance industry, which could make some weather...
Texas Windstorm Insurer Lowers Initial Premium Amount Due; Extends Payment Deadline
Apr 7 2020 // Texas’ property insurer of last resort for wind and hail in counties along the state’s coastline is temporarily reducing the amount of premium due in order to issue a policy and providing 75 days to pay the...
Firefighters Work to Contain North Carolina Wildfires
Apr 6 2020 // Firefighters kept working on Saturday to slow the spread of western North Carolina wildfires that have spread due to high winds, the U.S. Forest Service said. A fire that began on private property Friday in Haywood County...
Another Member PG&E California Wildfire Panel Resigns
Apr 6 2020 // The former chief financial officer for a Northern California city destroyed in a 2018 wildfire caused by Pacific Gas & Electric equipment is trying to upend the utility’s plan for getting out of bankruptcy...
Idaho Authorities Say No Major Damage After 6.5 Earthquake
Apr 6 2020 // The day after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake rattled Idaho, authorities near the epicenter say there have been no reports of significant damage or injuries. An earthquake struck north of Boise on Tuesday evening, with people...
Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake Confirmed in Southern California
Apr 6 2020 // An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 rattled much of inland Southern California on Friday evening but no damage or injuries were reported, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The quake struck just after 6:53...
Forecaster Sees ‘Greater Than Average’ Hurricane Season This Year
Apr 6 2020 // The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season could see a greater than average number of major hurricanes because of warmer seas and favorable weather patterns, forecasters from Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology...
There’s No Place Like Home … For a Catastrophic Claim Denial
Apr 6 2020 // An elderly widow in Kentucky was admitted to a nursing home to recuperate from surgery. During her convalescence, her nonresident children visited the home frequently, though no one spent the night there, prepared meals,...
Tech Issues Hampered Information on Tsunami Watch for Hawaii
Apr 6 2020 // Technical issues made it difficult to get information about a tsunami watch for Hawaii and its subsequent cancellation, the National Weather Service said. The brief tsunami watch was canceled in late March after a 7.5...
A Coronavirus Outbreak Among Farm Workers Would Be Catastrophic: Viewpoint
Apr 3 2020 // There is no evidence that Covid-19 has been transmitted by food or food packaging, according to U.S. federal health agencies. How the virus fares among food workers may be a different story. By law, food manufacturers must...
This Insurance Would Have Helped in Coronavirus Crisis But Nobody Bought It
Apr 3 2020 // Like everyone else, Peter Lacovara is coping with COVID-19, working at home to limit contagion to the coronavirus and stay healthy. He’s also plugging away trying to keep businesses healthy, as well. In his role as a...
‘I Heard the Roar’: Idaho Hit with 6.5 Magnitude Earthquake
Apr 2 2020 // An earthquake struck north of Boise, Idaho, on Tuesday evening, with people across a large area reporting shaking. The U.S. Geological Survey reports the magnitude 6.5 temblor struck just before 6 p.m. It was centered 73...
Regulators Mull Reversing $462M Increase in PG&E’s California Wildfire Fines
Apr 1 2020 // California power regulators are weighing a recommendation to back off plans to fine Pacific Gas and Electric an additional $462 million for igniting a series of Northern California 2018 deadly wildfires rather than risk...
Assessment: 100s of Homes Damaged, Destroyed in Arkansas Tornado
Apr 1 2020 // Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed in an EF-3 tornado that swept through Jonesboro, officials said Monday following damage assessments. Craighead County Judge Marvin Day said about 150 homes were mostly or...
Virus Safety at Forefront in Indiana Tornado Cleanup
Apr 1 2020 // Crews and homeowners cleaning up after a weekend tornado swept a southwestern Indiana town are working under the watchful eye of local officials eager to make sure they adhere to social distancing amid the coronavirus...
New Mexico to Use Satellite Tracking During Wildfire Season
Apr 1 2020 // New Mexico has a new tool that could help crews get an early jump on any wildfires that might break out. The State Forestry Division will be getting real-time alerts via a satellite tracking system designed by the Santa...
What Florida Agents Need to Know During Coronavirus Crisis
Apr 1 2020 // Watch the Full Interview Powered by InsuranceJournal.tv Florida is a catastrophe-prone state when it comes to weather, but the challenges that come from a non weather-catastrophe like the current COVID-19 pandemic bring...
National Weather Service Confirms EF-2 Tornado Struck Kentucky
Apr 1 2020 // A tornado hit Henderson County over the weekend, damaging homes and downing trees and electrical poles, but no injuries were reported, according to The Gleaner. On Sunday, the National Weather Service office in Paducah...
P/C Insurers Put a Price Tag on Uncovered Coronavirus Business Interruption Losses
Mar 30 2020 // The property/casualty industry estimates that business interruption losses from the coronavirus just for small businesses in the U.S. could be between $220-$383 billion per month — or a quarter to half of the total...
