Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Seeking $4.4B in Federal Aid for Wildfires
Dec 4 2017 // California’s 53 U.S. House members are requesting $4.4 billion in federal aid to help the state recover from its deadliest wildfires ever. That’s down sharply from the $7.4 billion originally sought by Gov....
California Fires Will Add to 2017 Insurer Catastrophe Losses, Fitch Says
Dec 4 2017 // No U.S. reinsurance companies in Fitch Rating’s rated universe are expected to be downgraded as a result of losses from the California wildfires alone, but for a number of companies the impact of wildfire losses adds...
Drone Prompts Diversion of Arkansas Wildfire Surveillance Plane
Dec 1 2017 // Forestry officials diverted a surveillance plane from its assigned path because a drone hovered above a northern Arkansas wildfire, prompting them to caution people that airborne efforts to take unique photographs endanger...
Fallout for PG&E from California Wildfire Could Have Been Limited by Vote
Dec 1 2017 // California regulators rejected a request by a San Diego utility to bill customers for a decade-old wildfire, even as they made clear their decision shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a precedent for last month’s...
Woman Staying in Hotel During Tennessee Wildfires Claims PTSD in Lawsuit
Dec 1 2017 // A Tennessee woman who checked in to a hotel as deadly wildfires raged nearby says in a lawsuit that she was terrified she would die in the hotel and is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder because of the...
Chubb Expects $320 Million in Q4 Catastrophe Losses Including California Wildfires
Nov 30 2017 // Chubb Limited reported a preliminary loss estimate for the fourth quarter from natural catastrophes, including the California wildfires, of approximately $320 million pre-tax, or $249 million after tax. Chubb said its...
Florida’s Hurricane Irma Recovery: The Cost, The Challenges, The Lessons
Nov 30 2017 // The hurricane season is officially over, but it didn’t go by without leaving a major mark on Florida and its insurance industry. Hurricane Irma, a name most in the state won’t soon forget, first hit the Florida...
New Sensors Tracking Earthquakes Across Texas
Nov 29 2017 // Note: This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. Three years ago, a series of quakes rattled North Texas — and some residents’ nerves. Larry Walden, a Parker County commissioner, remembers a public...
Wildfire Risk High Remains in Arkansas
Nov 29 2017 // State forestry officials say the risk for wildfires remains high throughout Arkansas as dry conditions persist. The Arkansas Forestry Commission says firefighters have suppressed more than 100 wildfires since Thanksgiving....
Lloyd’s Pays Claims of $1.7B for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma & Maria – So Far
Nov 29 2017 // The Lloyd’s market has paid claims worth US$1.7 billion, to date, in response to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Earlier this year Lloyd’s estimated a total commitment of US$4.8 billion for the three...
Earthquake Center Confirms Moderate Temblor Felt in Alaska Towns
Nov 29 2017 // The Alaska Earthquake Information Center confirmed that a moderate earthquake jostled Alaska’s largest city, but there were no immediate reports of damage. The magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit Monday and was located at a...
Hurricane Season Is Coming to a Close… Maybe
Nov 29 2017 // In 166 years, only 17 tropical storms and six hurricanes have formed in the Atlantic after the official Nov. 30 close of the season, according to the U.S. Hurricane Research Division in Miami. Could it happen...
Hurricane Matthew Victims in 2 North Carolina Counties Now Eligible for Grants
Nov 29 2017 // Residents of two of the North Carolina counties hardest hit by Hurricane Matthew can now schedule an appointment to apply for reimbursement of their losses. The Fayetteville Observer reports state Department of Emergency...
State Auto’s Extension of CEO LaRocco’s Contract a Vote of Confidence in Turnaround Strategy
Nov 28 2017 // Mike LaRocco, who took over president and CEO of State Automobile Mutual Insurance Co. in May 2015, has won the support of the company’s board of directors for an extension of his contract until Dec. 31,...
2017 Hurricane Season Ranks as Costliest Ever for U.S.
Nov 28 2017 // This year’s U.S. Atlantic hurricane season is officially the most expensive ever, racking up $202.6 billion in damages since the formal start on June 1. The costs tallied by disaster modelers Chuck Watson and Mark...
Pool Re to Include Physical Damage from Cyber Terrorism, Effective April 2018
Nov 28 2017 // Pool Re, the UK’s terrorism reinsurance pool, announced it will extend its cover to include material damage and direct business interruption caused by acts of terrorism using a cyber trigger. The new cover will be...
Tourists Stranded, Evacuations Ordered as Bali Volcano’s Eruption ‘Imminent’
Nov 27 2017 // Indonesia closed the airport on the tourist island of Bali on Monday and ordered 100,000 residents living near a grumbling volcano spewing columns of ash to evacuate immediately, warning that the first major eruption in 54...
Houston Arts Groups Working to Recover from Hurricane Harvey
Nov 27 2017 // Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch looked flushed as he stood at the edge of the Hobby Center’s Sarofim Hall stage during a break in the company’s annual Jubilee of Dance performance. The Houston...
California Policyholders Have 24 Months to Collect Wildfire Insurance Money
Nov 22 2017 // California’s insurance commissioner says homeowners who lost their homes in last month’s wildfires in Northern California have up to 24 months to collect insurance payments. Dave Jones said this week some...
Experts See Expanding Role for Parametric Insurance, Including for U.S. Disasters
Nov 22 2017 // Catastrophic losses this year due to extreme weather events have led to a growing interest in parametric insurance in the U.S., according to industry experts. Parametric coverage is also gaining traction as hazard modeling...
