Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
6 Hurt as Tornado Tears Through Arkansas College Town
Mar 30 2020 // A tornado ripped through northeast Arkansas on Saturday, leaving six people hurt after hitting commercial and residential areas in the college town of Jonesboro. The six people reported injured were taken to a local...
Severe Weather Spawns Tornadoes, ‘100-Year Flood’ in Midwest
Mar 30 2020 // A severe weather system tore through the Midwest over the weekend, bringing damaging high winds, tornadoes and flooding. Authorities say severe weather in Ohio spawned what forecasters are calling a “100-year...
PG&E to Use California Wildfire Victims Fund to Pay for Past Crimes
Mar 30 2020 // Pacific Gas & Electric is warning its elaborate plan for getting out of bankruptcy might collapse if the utility can’t pay for its crimes in a deadly Northern California wildfire by taking money away from a fund...
Tech Issues Hampered Information on Tsunami Watch for Hawaii
Mar 27 2020 // Technical issues made it difficult to get information about a tsunami watch for Hawaii and its subsequent cancellation, the National Weather Service said Wednesday. The brief tsunami watch was canceled Tuesday after a 7.5...
PG&E’s Falling Stock Price Worries California Wildfire Victims Eyeing Deal
Mar 27 2020 // The stock market turmoil triggered by the coronavirus pandemic is raising worries that Pacific Gas & Electric’s $13.5 billion settlement with victims of catastrophic wildfires may be worth far less by the time...
Suspected Tornado Causes Damage Along Mississippi-Alabama Line
Mar 26 2020 // Teresa Hazelwood stopped by a Dollar General store in northern Mississippi to get some chips, and soon found herself riding out a suspected tornado in the parking lot and felt it lifting her car. She gripped the steering...
Georgia Adjuster Accused of Stealing $215K from Business Affected by Hurricane Michael
Mar 25 2020 // An insurance adjuster was charged with stealing more than $215,000 in insurance money from a Georgia business damaged by Hurricane Michael, authorities said. Steven Eric Chastain is accused of stealing insurance checks...
M4.7 Earthquake Confirmed off Coast of Northern California
Mar 24 2020 // A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck Sunday morning off the coast of Northern California, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The quake hit at 8:27 a.m. about 50 miles west of Ferndale, a coastal town of 1,300 people. A...
PG&E Will Plead Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in California Wildfire
Mar 24 2020 // Pacific Gas & Electric said it will plead guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2018 fire in Northern California that killed 84 people and decimated three towns. The utility said in a...
Tornado-Bearing Storms Spread Damage Across Parts of Arkansas, Texas
Mar 23 2020 // Severe storms, including at least one possible tornado, struck parts of Arkansas on the evening of March 19, damaging homes and causing widespread damage to trees and power lines. Additionally, the National Weather Service...
