Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Northern California Wildfire Destroys 37 Structures
Jul 11 2017 // A Northern California wildfire has destroyed 37 structures, at least some of them homes. The figure is up from 17 destroyed structures previously reported by state fire officials. However, the blaze weakened significantly...
Earthquake Center Confirms 2 Quakes Hit Alaska
Jul 11 2017 // Two small earthquakes have hit Alaska, one on the state’s northern end and another in the south, the Alaska Earthquake Center confirmed. The center says a magnitude 3.6 earthquake struck a spot 64.3 miles northeast...
Report: The Southeast’s Storm Surge Risk and Florida’s Hurricane Wake-Up Call
Jul 11 2017 // The Southeast has seen its fair share of natural disasters and flooding in the last several years, including two hurricanes in Florida last year – the first hurricanes to hit the state in more than a decade. But none of...
California Blazes Among Numerous Wildfires in Western U.S.
Jul 10 2017 // Two major wildfires in California that have forced nearly 8,000 people out of their homes are among numerous fires in the Western U.S. that have barreled across the baking landscape, destroying property. About 4,000 people...
June Catastrophes Cost Global Economy $5 Billion; U.S. Storms Dominate: Aon
Jul 10 2017 // Floods and storms cost the global economy more than $5 billion in June, with most of those losses generated in the United States, according to an Aon catastrophe report. In the U.S., large hail, tornadoes, straight-line...
Many Homeowners Don’t Understand Deductibles
Jul 10 2017 // Almost five years after Superstorm Sandy, one third of homeowners in several coastal states are still unaware of hurricane deductibles and how they work, new insurance research has found. Not only did 33 percent of...
Swiss Re, Ping An Offer China’s 1st Mobile-Enabled Parametric Insurance Cover
Jul 7 2017 // Swiss Re has partnered with Ping An Property & Casualty Insurance Co. of China Ltd. to launch China’s first mobile-enabled typhoon property parametric insurance solution. This solution is designed to provide an...
Arizona Prepping for Floods in Wake of Massive Wildfire
Jul 6 2017 // A northern Arizona wildfire is nearing full containment and officials say it’s time to take precautions against possible post-fire flooding. Officials say there’s a high risk of flooding during the monsoon, and...
Apartments Damaged, Trees Downed by Spin-Up Tornado in Arkansas
Jul 5 2017 // No one was injured when a short-lived tornado swept through Jonesboro, damaging an apartment complex and downing trees and power lines in the northeast Arkansas city. The National Weather Service in Memphis, Tennessee,...
Hike in Michigan Auto Catastrophic Claim Fee Now in Effect
Jul 5 2017 // The cost of owning a car or truck in Michigan has gone up by $10. Effective July 1, the Catastrophic Claims Association will now collect $170 per registered vehicle, up from $160. The insurance fund was created to...
2016 Texas Hail Losses Exceed $5B
Jul 5 2017 // Wind and hail loss information for 2016 released recently by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) show that homeowner losses from hail in Texas were the highest annual losses ever recorded, as they exceeded $5 billion,...
Homes Near Northern Arizona Wildfire Have Evacuations Lifted
Jul 5 2017 // Homeowners in northern Arizona were given the green light to return days after being displaced by a fast-moving wildfire, while residents more than 200 miles away fled their homes after a blaze forced an evacuation of a...
Wildfire Forces Evacuations in Rural California Town
Jul 5 2017 // Crews have stopped the forward progress of a small wildfire in Central California that has triggered evacuations in a rural area north of Fresno. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says the 225-acre...
Prosecutors Unable to Prove Arson Against 2 Youths in Tennessee Wildfires
Jul 5 2017 // Prosecutors have dropped arson charges against two juveniles in connection with the Tennessee wildfires that killed 14 people and tore through thousands of homes and businesses in November, a law enforcement official said...
Injuries, Property Damage Reported from Tornadoes in Iowa, Wisconsin
Jun 30 2017 // Thunderstorms that spun off tornadoes as they rumbled across Iowa injured at least two people, mowed down crops and damaged homes and farm buildings. In Wisconsin, at least one person was reported injured, as...
Arizona Residents Evacuated as Wildfires Sweep Western U.S.
Jun 30 2017 // An Arizona wildfire that forced thousands from their homes and came dangerously close to consuming a town was 43 percent contained by Thursday evening, authorities said. Roughly 1,400 evacuated residents of the community...
North Carolina Lawmakers Hammer Out Details of $100M in Hurricane Relief
Jun 30 2017 // Lawmakers are figuring out how to spend $100 million earmarked in the recently approved North Carolina budget for continued cleanup and rebuilding from Hurricane Matthew. The House approved unanimously Wednesday a measure...
California Wildfire Destroys Ranch Home of ‘Big Bang Theory’ Star
Jun 29 2017 // The home of “Big Bang Theory” star Johnny Galecki has been destroyed in a wildfire in California. Nicole Perna, a spokeswoman for the 42-year-old actor, says his home on a ranch in the San Luis Obispo area was...
Utah Blaze Now Nation’s Largest Active Wildfire
Jun 27 2017 // The nation’s largest wildfire is burning in Utah and has forced more than 1,500 people from their homes and cabins in a mountain area that’s home to a ski town. Firefighters battled high winds Monday as they...
P/C Insurers’ Net Income Fell 42.2% in Q1; Catastrophe Losses Topped $7 Billion
Jun 27 2017 // The U.S. property/casualty insurance industry saw its net income fall to $7.7 billion in first-quarter 2017 from $13.4 billion in first-quarter 2016, a 42.2 percent decline. Also, its overall profitability as measured by...
