Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurance Industry Use of Drone, Aerial Imagery Soared After 2018 Southeast Disasters
Jan 24 2019 // The importance of drones and aerial imagery rose to a new level in the wake of 2018 natural catastrophes as insurers made them an integral part of their disaster recovery procedures, particularly following the hurricanes...
Texas Sunset Board: Legislature Needs to Decide Nature of Windstorm Insurer
Jan 23 2019 // To be the insurer of last resort for wind and hail insurance along the Texas coast, without state support and reliant on premium dollars and debt financing for funding, or to be a true insurance company that derives...
California’s Massive Wildfires Push Travelers to Seek Higher Premiums
Jan 22 2019 // California’s deadly wildfires are raising the specter of higher insurance premiums for homeowners in the state. After “two significant years in a row of losses, I think the discussion and the debate about the...
Travelers Grew Q4 Profit Despite California Wildfire, Hurricane Michael Losses
Jan 22 2019 // Travelers Cos. reported that despite catastrophe losses from the California wildfires and Hurricane Michael, it boosted its profit in the fourth quarter of 2018 thanks to growth in premiums and investment income. Net...
Insurance Covered $90B of Natural Disaster Losses in 2018, Leaving 60% Protection Gap
Jan 22 2019 // The economic costs of last year’s 394 natural catastrophe events came to US$225 billion with insurance covering US$90 billion of the overall total, creating the fourth costliest year on record of insured losses,...
Tornadoes Cause Damage in Alabama, Florida Panhandle
Jan 22 2019 // Homes, businesses, government offices and churches were among the buildings badly damaged or demolished when tornadoes struck central Alabama over the weekend. The severe weather hit Saturday and another tornado was...
Researchers Looking into How Drones Can Predict Wildfire Spread
Jan 21 2019 // A University of Missouri researcher is teaming up with scholars in Kansas and Georgia to develop drone technology to monitor and potentially predict the spread of wildfires. The $1.2 million research project that began...
California Wildfires, Hurricane Michael Top List of 2018’s Costliest Natural Disasters: Munich Re
Jan 21 2019 // The costliest natural catastrophes occurred in the United States in 2018 with one of California’s devastating wildfires and Hurricane Michael topping the list, according to Munich Re. A report from Munich Re on last...
Industry Trends to Exploit for 2019
Jan 21 2019 // It is time to take out our crystal ball and plan for 2019 and how our insurance industry will be impacted by the trends around us. Those that consider these changes, and plan ahead, will usually be in a better position...
Wildfires, Dynamex Dominate California Wholesaler Conference
Jan 21 2019 // Wildfires and the Dynamex decision dominated discussions at an insurance wholesaler conference in early January. The California Wholesaler Association conference in La Jolla, Calif., from Jan. 6 to Jan. 8 featured numerous...
For New Governors, Natural Disasters Will Be Necessary Priority
Jan 21 2019 // Even Governors Skeptical of Climate Change Can’t Avoid Need to Plan for Future Storms, Fires Governors have a range of priorities they want to tackle in the coming year, from tax reform to education. Yet, one topic...
Argo Estimates Losses from Q4 Natural Catastrophes, Other Claims to Hit $44M
Jan 18 2019 // Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd., the Bermuda-based re/insurer, announced a preliminary pre-tax catastrophe loss estimate of $32 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, primarily related to Hurricane Michael and the...
ICT: Destructive Weather Took a Break in Texas Last Year
Jan 18 2019 // Between 2015 and 2017, Texas experienced a record number of tornadoes, hailstorms and a hurricane, but the state finally got a reprieve from all of the destructive weather in 2018, the Insurance Council of Texas (ICT)...
3.7M Earthquake Hits Northern California
Jan 17 2019 // The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed a 3.7 preliminary magnitude earthquake rattled the small city of Piedmont in northern California. The USGS says the tremor occurred on Wednesday at 4:42 a.m. The impacts of the...
Severe Weather in Canada Cost Insurers C$1.9 Billion in 2018: IBC
Jan 17 2019 // Insured damage from severe weather events across Canada reached C$1.9 billion (US$1.4 billion) in 2018, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), quoting statistics from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification...
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Oklahoma
Jan 16 2019 // Officials say there are no reports of damage after a 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck northern Oklahoma on Tuesday morning. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was centered near Hayward, or about 50 miles north of...
Multiple Smaller Natural Disasters in 2018 Created ‘Unusual’ Insured Loss Picture: Willis
Jan 16 2019 // Insured loss estimates from major natural catastrophes in 2018 totaled roughly $71.5 billion, the highest since 2011’s annual market losses of $120 billion, according to Willis Re. However, the insured losses in 2018...
Magnitude 3.6 Earthquake Shakes Part of Northern Oklahoma
Jan 15 2019 // The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake shook parts of northern Oklahoma early in the morning on Jan. 14. Geologists say the 3.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 2:20 a.m. Monday near Waukomis, about 80 miles...
PG&E Restructuring Highlights California’s Inverse Condemnation Rule
Jan 15 2019 // PG&E Corp.’s chances of emerging from bankruptcy proceedings hinge in part on an arcane California legal rule that threatens to keep the utility owner perpetually on the hook for liabilities from catastrophic...
Swiss Re Estimates Its Q4 Natural Catastrophe Claims to Hit US$1.0B
Jan 15 2019 // Swiss Re estimates it will pay claims of approximately $1.0 billion for natural catastrophes booked in the fourth quarter of 2018, with the largest generated from California wildfires and Hurricane Michael. These natural...
