Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Policyholders File Claims, Get Payments For California Quake

Apr 29 2014 // The California Earthquake Authority reported Tuesday it has paid numerous claims for damage to homes that sustained “relatively minor damage” from the magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck La Habra on March...

Storm Threat Continues in South; 11 Lives Already Lost in Southeast

Apr 29 2014 // Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are expected to sweep across the U.S. South, threatening more damage to a region where dozens died in the past two days. There’s a moderate risk of severe storms, high winds and...

Florida’s Citizens Readies $1.5 Billion Catastrophe Bond Deal

Apr 28 2014 // Florida’s largest property insurer is preparing to transfer $3.1 billion in risk through a combination of reinsurance catastrophe bonds, including a $1.5 billion deal that is the largest of its kind on record. The...

Hiscox Increases U.S. Terrorism Insurance Capacity to $200 Million

Apr 28 2014 // Hiscox has increased capacity to $200 million for U.S. domiciled terrorism risks. The additional capacity addresses the increased demand for standalone terrorism coverage caused by the upcoming expiration of the U.S....

Arkansas, Oklahoma Hit Hard by Weekend Tornadoes

Apr 28 2014 // Arkansas, Oklahoma and parts of the Midwest were pounded over the weekend by deadly tornado-producing storms that touched down in seven states. As many as 30 tornadoes have been reported, half of which touched down in...

Is Your Portfolio Prepared for the 2014 Hurricane Season?

Apr 28 2014 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. After one of the quietest hurricane seasons in decades, The Weather Channel predicts a below-average 2014 Atlantic Hurricane season. The early outlook released March...

Safety National Introduces Safety National Crisis Protection

Apr 25 2014 // Safety National Casualty Corp., an excess workers’ compensation and provider of large casualty offerings, has introduced Safety National Crisis Protection – a crisis management and extraction benefit provided...

Utility Caused California Wildfire, Suit Alleges

Apr 25 2014 // Victims of a wildfire that burned 24 homes last year are suing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, claiming the utility started the huge blaze and failed to properly maintain power lines and equipment. The Daily...

Mexico, Nicaragua Earthquakes Unlikely to Impact Insurance Industry: Fitch Ratings

Apr 25 2014 // Fitch Ratings said it “believes that the insurance industry and the ratings currently assigned to P&C companies in Nicaragua and Mexico will not be affected by the earthquakes that recently hit these...

Powerful Earthquake Strikes off Vancouver Island Coast: AIR Analysis

Apr 25 2014 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, has issued a report on the powerful M6.6 earthquake that struck off the coast of Canada’s Vancouver Island at about 3:10 a.m. UTC (8:10 p.m. local time) a at a depth of 11.4...

California Bill To Close Earthquake Loophole Clears Committee

Apr 24 2014 // A California bill to close a loophole that enables building on active earthquake faults without considering the impacts passed a key committee hurdle on Thursday. Senate Bill 1155, authored by state Sen. Ted Lieu,...

Why Not Renewing TRIA Could Cost Government More Than Renewing It

Apr 24 2014 // Ending the federal terrorism risk insurance program could end up costing the federal government more than if the program, TRIA, is allowed to continue, according to a RAND Corp. study. The analysis finds that in a...

Mass. Regulator on Boston Bombing Claims, TRIA Reauthorization Effort

Apr 23 2014 // Massachusetts Division of Insurance’s last data call showed that the vast majority of insurance claims stemming from the Boston marathon bombing tragedy have been resolved. The data also revealed that among the 160...

Recent Quakes Push Interest, Sales of Policies in California

Apr 22 2014 // Some people don’t need Earth Day to be reminded they live on a planet powered by the forces of nature. The recent string earthquakes on the Pacific belt may have hit home with California homeowners, who were already...

Marsh Report Finds Continued Demand for Terrorism Risk Insurance; Urges Renewal

Apr 22 2014 // Demand for terrorism insurance remains strong and the existence of the federal terrorism risk insurance program plays a key role in making coverage available and affordable, according to a report released by insurance...

Timber Company Sues Over Idaho Wildfire

Apr 21 2014 // Idaho officials have filed a lawsuit against a timber company and its contractor contending they’re responsible for a wildfire that killed a 20-year-old Forest Service firefighter and burned more than 300 acres in...

Bigger and More Frequent Wildfires Burning Western U.S.

Apr 21 2014 // Wildfires across the western United States have been getting bigger and more frequent over the last 30 years, according to a new study. The number of wildfires over 1,000 acres in size in the region stretching from...

2013 P/C Insurers’ Results Show Net Gain on Underwriting– First Since 2007

Apr 21 2014 // U.S. property/casualty insurers’ net income after taxes grew to $63.8 billion in 2013 from $35.1 billion in 2012, with insurers’ overall profitability as measured by their rate of return on average...

Strong M7.2 Earthquake Shakes Acapulco, Mexico City: AIR Analysis

Apr 21 2014 // According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, on the morning of April 18, 2014, a M7.2 earthquake struck southwestern Mexico, 37 km [23 miles] north of the municipality of Tecpán de Galeana (approximate population...

Local Officials Urged to Educate Public on Storm Risks, Building for Future

Apr 21 2014 // Two of the country’s top disaster experts challenged emergency managers and forecasters from Texas to Maine to help educate coastal residents and developers about hurricane hazards. Speaking at the National Hurricane...