Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Refineries in Tropical Storm Barry’s Path to Keep Operating
Jul 12 2019 // Most U.S. refiners whose plants are in the path of Tropical Storm Barry took steps on Friday to keep them running, even as forecasters warned that the second named storm of the season could become a hurricane just before...
New Orleans Hunkers Down as Tropical Storm Barry Nears Louisiana Coast
Jul 12 2019 // Coastal Louisiana felt the first blow from Tropical Storm Barry’s winds early on Friday as the slow-moving tempest was forecast to become the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019 threatening to bring rain and flooding to...
California Legislators Approve $21 Billion Liability Fund for Utilities
Jul 12 2019 // California lawmakers approved legislation on Thursday to create a $21 billion fund to help utilities in the state pay for claims arising from future wildfires sparked by their equipment, tackling a top issue for the...
California Regulators Seek to Curb Misinformation About Earthquake Insurance
Jul 12 2019 // The recent earthquakes that pummeled neighborhoods in Ridgecrest and Trona in Southern California have led to reports that some insurers and agents may be declining to write earthquake policies in various areas of the...
Now a Tropical Storm, Barry Takes Aim at Louisiana
Jul 11 2019 // Tropical Storm Barry formed in the Gulf of Mexico and could strike Louisiana as a hurricane Saturday, causing almost $1 billion in damage and worsening flooding in New Orleans. The system, which was about 95 miles (153...
Over 600 Buildings Damaged by Tornado That Hit Missouri Capital
Jul 10 2019 // New figures show that more than 600 homes, businesses and government buildings were damaged by a tornado that tore through Missouri’s capital city earlier this year. A report released jointly by Jefferson City and...
Judge Wants PG&E to Respond to Report It Knew Faulty Lines Could Cause Wildfires
Jul 10 2019 // PG&E Corp. was ordered by a federal judge overseeing its probation to respond to a Wall Street Journal story claiming the utility knew its power lines could cause wildfires and failed to perform upgrades. PG&E...
Missouri Regulators: At Least $139M in Insured Losses From May Tornadoes
Jul 10 2019 // Missouri insurance regulators say insured losses following May tornadoes in that state are predicted to reach $139 million or more. Tornadoes ravaged several areas of the state in May, including Missouri’s capitol...
California Wildfire ‘Bailout’ for PG&E, Edison Clears Hurdle
Jul 10 2019 // Utility giants PG&E Corp. and Edison International are one step closer to getting California’s help in covering the costs of increasingly catastrophic wildfires that their equipment keeps igniting. The state...
Pushing and Pulling Lloyd’s Into the 21st Century
Jul 10 2019 // Twenty-five years ago, the Lloyd’s of London marketplace was teetering on the brink of insolvency, reeling from billions of dollars of asbestos and pollution liabilities. Many of the best brains in the market worked...
Oklahoma Again Seeing Decline in Number of Earthquakes
Jul 10 2019 // The number of Oklahoma earthquakes registering a magnitude of 3.0 or greater is on pace to decline for the fourth straight year after state regulators began directing oil and natural gas producers to close some wells and...
Southern California Quakes Push Interest in Coverage
Jul 9 2019 // Visits to the California Earthquake Authority website reportedly increased by nearly 10 times normal following the largest earthquakes to hit Southern California in 20 years. The quakes over 4th of July holiday weekend...
Alert Level Raised for Large Hawaii Volcano
Jul 9 2019 // Officials have raised the alert level for the world’s largest active volcano, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, which last erupted in 1984. The U.S. Geological Survey changed the level from “normal” to...
Earthquakes Alert Californians to Be Ready for ‘Big One’
Jul 9 2019 // Shaken residents are cleaning up from two of the biggest earthquakes to rattle California in decades as scientists warn that both should serve as a wake-up call to be ready when the long-dreaded “Big One”...
Virginia to Get $1.8M for Tropical Storm Michael Repairs
Jul 9 2019 // Virginia will receive $1.8 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for electrical distribution repairs as a result of damages caused by Tropical Storm Michael. The grant will be used to reimburse communities...
Insurance Department: Uptake of Earthquake Coverage Declines in Missouri
Jul 9 2019 // A new report issued by the Missouri Department of Insurance shows that earthquake insurance coverage in the highest risk areas of Missouri has dropped to just under 14 percent. According to the department, the Earthquake...
California’s Governor: Earthquakes Are A ‘Wake-Up Call’
Jul 8 2019 // The two major earthquakes that hit Southern California should alert people across the nation of the need to be prepared for natural disasters, the state’s governor said as officials expressed relief that the damages...
Wildfire Help for PG&E, Edison May Not Be Ready When California Lawmakers Adjourn July 12
Jul 8 2019 // California’s biggest utilities, PG&E Corp., Edison International and Sempra Energy, may not get the help they need to deal with multi-billion dollar wildfire liabilities before lawmakers adjourn July 12 for...
Southern California Begins Assessing Damage From Largest Earthquake in 20 Years
Jul 7 2019 // RIDGECREST, Calif. — Crews in Southern California assessed damage to cracked and burned buildings, broken roads, leaking water and gas lines and other infrastructure Saturday after the largest earthquake the region has...
Oregon Agency Charged with Earthquake Study and Preparation Could Be Abolished
Jul 3 2019 // The state agency in charge of earthquake study and preparation, as well as monitoring mining efforts in Oregon, could be shut down after going over budget for the second time in four years. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports...
