Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Tornado Death Toll Rises to 25 in Tennessee
Mar 16 2020 // The death toll from storms that unleashed powerful tornadoes in Tennessee early this month has risen to 25, authorities said Thursday as they announced that a man had died of his injuries. The death raised the number of...
PERILS to Include Australian Motor in Industry Catastrophe Exposure Update
Mar 16 2020 // PERILS, the independent Zurich-based company that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data, announced it will extend its line of business reporting to include Australian motor for personal and commercial...
FEMA Opens Intake Center in Nashville for Tornado Victims
Mar 12 2020 // As residents continued to dig out from a series of deadly tornadoes that hit Tennessee last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it was opening an intake center in Nashville on Tuesday. The center is...
U.S. Cybersecurity Report Calls for Major Government Role in Cyber Insurance
Mar 11 2020 // A major government report on cybersecurity that warns the nation is seriously underprepared for cyber attacks calls for the creation of a federally-funded center to develop cybersecurity insurance certifications and a...
PG&E Has Settled One Battle Involving California Wildfire Fund
Mar 11 2020 // Pacific Gas & Electric told a federal bankruptcy judge that it has settled a dispute with disaster-relief agencies that threatened to siphon money away from a $13.5 billion fund earmarked for victims of catastrophic...
Large Earthquake off Coast of Northern California Confirmed
Mar 10 2020 // A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck a spot off the coast of Northern California on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The earthquake hit at 6:59 p.m. and was centered in a spot 55.5 miles west of Ferndale, a town...
Program: 10K-Plus Homes in California Retrofitted to Reduce Earthquake Damage
Mar 9 2020 // The California Earthquake Authority’s Earthquake Brace + Bolt program has reached the milestone of aiding more than 10,000 California homeowners to seismically retrofit their homes. The EBB grant program provides...
Tornado Warning System Worked for Tennessee Twisters, But Effectiveness Unknown
Mar 9 2020 // Sirens screamed. Emergency weather alerts buzzed cellphones. News crews pleaded with people to seek cover. In the aftermath of the massive tornadoes that ripped through Tennessee early Tuesday morning, emergency officials...
Weather Service: At Least 6 Tornadoes Hit Tennessee During Severe Storms
Mar 9 2020 // At least six tornadoes hit middle Tennessee during a series of storms last week that killed 24 people and caused massive damage, the National Weather Service in Nashville confirmed Friday. The strongest tornado overnight...
Small Earthquake Confirmed in Southcentral Alaska
Mar 9 2020 // Residents of Homer, Anchorage and Eagle River reported feeling a small earthquake that hit south-central Alaska Saturday. The Alaska Earthquake Center confirmed a magnitude 3.6 earthquake hit at 7:15 a.m. in the Cook Inlet...
4 State Senators Named to Funding Oversight Board of Texas Windstorm Insurer
Mar 9 2020 // Texas state Sen. Kelly Hancock (Richland Hills), Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (McAllen), Charles Schwertner (Georgetown) and Larry Taylor, (Friendswood) have been appointed to the Windstorm Insurance Legislative...
Declarations
Mar 9 2020 // Not High Time “This bill is not about getting high. This bill is about getting well.” — Dr. Alan Shackelford, a Colorado doctor who described the success of using medical marijuana on people with seizures...
TWIA Sets Funding for Catastrophe Year 2020 at $2.4B
Mar 9 2020 // The wind and hail insurance carrier of last resort for counties along the Texas coast has determined that its 1-in-100 probable maximum loss (1:100 PML) for the 2020 catastrophe year is $4.2 billion. At a quarterly meeting...
California FAIR Plan Can Offer Only Fire Insurance, Judge Says
Mar 9 2020 // A fund that offers only fire insurance to California residents in wildfire-prone areas can’t be required to provide coverage for other hazards such as flooding or theft, a judge ruled in late February. Superior Court...
California Public Utilities Commission Fines PG&E $2.1B over Wildfires
Mar 9 2020 // The California Public Utilities Commission issued an administrative law judge decision imposing $2.137 billion in penalties against Pacific Gas and Electric Company for the utility’s role in the catastrophic 2017 and...
Amid Tennessee Tornado Devastation, Surviving Homes Become Beacons of Hope
Mar 6 2020 // Moments after a tornado tore through his quiet Tennessee neighborhood, Darrell Jennings walked out his front door and heard screaming. The house next door – and many others – had been leveled to its...
Tennessee Sets Up Mobile Units for Tornado Victims Without ID
Mar 6 2020 // Two mobile units have been deployed to help residents who lost state driver’s licenses or photo identification in severe storms that ravaged Tennessee counties this week. Tennessee’s Department of Safety and...
A&M Study: Texas’ Future Depends on Climate Preparedness
Mar 6 2020 // Texans should expect warmer weather, more wildfires and urban flooding, and increased impact from hurricanes through 2036 thanks to climate change, according to a new study from the Office of the Texas State Climatologist...
Death Toll from Tennessee Tornadoes Climbs to At Least 24
Mar 5 2020 // Rescuers searched through shattered Tennessee neighborhoods for bodies Tuesday, less than a day after tornadoes ripped across Nashville and other parts of the state as families slept. At least 24 people were killed, some...
USDA Adds New Hurricane Insurance Endorsement for 2020 Crop Year
Mar 5 2020 // The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) has implemented a new crop insurance endorsement, Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI), the agency announced. HIP-WI covers a...
