Latest Catastrophe Headlines

All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Texas Windstorm Insurer Activates CAT Plan

Sep 14 2018 // With a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico and Tropical Depression Isaac located east of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and heading west, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) has activated its CAT...

Earthquake Jolts Southwestern Utah Desert

Sep 14 2018 // A small earthquake hit the southwestern Utah desert overnight. The University of Utah’s seismograph stations recorded the 3.8 magnitude earthquake just before midnight Tuesday. The epicenter was 15 miles northwest of...

How 4,000 Federal Workers Are Being Deployed for Hurricane Florence

Sep 14 2018 // As Hurricane Florence churns toward the Carolinas, bearing a potentially lethal ocean surge and winds and torrential rains, the federal government is marshaling its forces to help communities prepare and recover. President...

For First Time, 5 Named Storms Could Crowd Atlantic Ocean

Sep 14 2018 // For tropical storms, two’s company, three’s a crowd and five is, well, unprecedented. Maybe not for long. Weather forecasters are watching a disturbance in the western Gulf of Mexico that has a 50 percent...

Update: Category 1 Hurricane Florence Lands in Carolinas, Threatening Floods, Tornadoes, Power Outages

Sep 14 2018 // Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina, leaving more than half a million people without power and facing at least another day of heavy rain and wind. Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach Friday as a Category 1...

Hurricane Florence Hits Close to Home for North Carolina-Based Broker AmWINS

Sep 14 2018 // For North Carolina-headquartered global insurance broker AmWINS Group Inc., Hurricane Florence isn’t just a storm that will affect insureds – many of its own employees and agents are also directly in the...

Wind, Storm Surge Losses from Florence Could Reach $5B; Top 10 Insurers Affected in Carolinas

Sep 14 2018 // This enhanced satellite image made available by NOAA shows Hurricane Florence off the eastern coast of the United States on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018 at 5:52 p.m. EDT. (NOAA via AP) Hurricane Florence was downgraded to a...

Hurricane Florence Could Pressure Congress to Extend NFIP, IIAV’s Bradshaw Says

Sep 13 2018 // Hurricane Florence could put pressure on U.S. Congress to extend the National Flood Insurance Program, but “it is still an open question as to whether it will lead to a comprehensive reform bill passing,”...

Virginia Insurers ‘Actively Preparing’ for Florence; State’s Top 10 Home Insurers

Sep 13 2018 // The Virginia Bureau of Insurance says it is “confident that insurers are actively preparing for this storm” as the potential impact of Hurricane Florence is anticipated in the state. “The Bureau’s...

Tropical Storm Drenches Hawaii With Rain

Sep 13 2018 // A gradually weakening tropical storm hit Hawaii on Wednesday, soaking a part of Maui and sending gusts of wind that toppled trees and cancelled flights at a number of airports in the state. Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa urged...

Powerful Typhoon Mangkhut Triggers Evacuations in Philippines

Sep 13 2018 // A powerful typhoon is expected to make a landfall in the Philippines’ main Luzon island on Saturday, prompting authorities to place 17 areas on alert and start evacuations. Classified by the Hong Kong Observatory as...

N.J. Governor Murphy Urges Safety as Hurricane Florence Approaches East Coast

Sep 13 2018 // New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and emergency officials urged caution Tuesday as Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast even though the worst effects of the storm are expected to miss the state. Murphy even jokingly...

Hurricane Florence Has Cat Bond Investors’ Attention

Sep 13 2018 // Catastrophe-bond investors are trying to assess the potential fallout from Hurricane Florence that may force them to hand over cash. If the storm’s path of destruction — which is aimed at Georgia and the...

South Carolina Officials Urge Dam Checks Before Hurricane

Sep 13 2018 // South Carolina officials are asking dam owners to inspect their dams and lower pond and lake levels if possible to prepare for possible heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. The Department of Health and Environmental...

North Carolina Tobacco Crop at Risk from Hurricane Florence

Sep 13 2018 // Tobacco crops in North Carolina, the top U.S. producer, are right in the projected path for Hurricane Florence, which threatens to cause plants to rot, whether they’re still in the fields or have already been...

North, South Carolina Insurance Chiefs Ready for Hurricane Florence

Sep 13 2018 // Hurricane Florence could be one of the largest storms to hit the Carolinas in decades and state insurance officials say they are ready for whatever it will bring to their regions. In interviews with Insurance Journal on...

Update: Hurricane Florence Slows to Category 2; Dangerous Storm Surge, Rainfall Still Expected

Sep 12 2018 // Thurs., Sept. 13, 11 am: Hurricane Florence was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane yesterday as its maximum sustained winds decreased today to about 110 mph, according to NOAA. The winds were clocked at 105 mph...

7 Ways to Help Clients Survive Hurricanes (and Other Disasters)

Sep 12 2018 // The threat of Hurricane Florence is bringing into sharper focus the often-unfulfilled need for adequate disaster insurance for businesses – and the related opportunity for insurance agents and brokers to help clients...

Pay Attention to the Hurricane Deductible

Sep 12 2018 // It’s hurricane season. I’ll wait for your shock to subside. If you live in a coastal state from Texas on the Western Gulf Coast to Virginia, you already knew it was hurricane season. I’m just reminding...

Insurers Forecasting Significant Claims from Businesses from Hurricane Florence

Sep 12 2018 // Days before Hurricane Florence is expected to slam into the U.S. East Coast, insurers are starting to see potential claims costs tick upward as people flee and companies halt operations. Evacuations, already affecting more...