Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas Windstorm Insurer: Rates to Increase Jan. 1
Dec 26 2012 // Texas’ property insurer of last resort in coastal counties has issued a reminder to agents that while the maximum limits of liability for residential and commercial properties will remain the same in 2013 as they...
Officials Tracking Debris off Washington Coast
Dec 19 2012 // Federal, state and tribal officials are attempting to track a large dock that was reported drifting off the coast of Washington state, one of potentially hundreds of objects that could wash up along the West Coast from the...
Swiss Re Estimates 2012 Economic Losses at $140 Billion; $65 Billion Insured
Dec 19 2012 // According to Swiss Re’s sigma preliminary estimates, economic losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disasters will likely reach at least $140 billion in 2012, while total insured losses from natural...
10 Families Displaced by Indiana Tornado Get New Homes
Dec 18 2012 // Saturday was an emotional, yet joyful day for Danielle Guthrie, when Habitat for Humanity handed her the keys to her new house in Henryville. “When they called to approve me, I was surprised. It was amazing,”...
Biologist: Tsunami Debris Overwhelming In Spots In Alaska
Dec 17 2012 // Debris that gathered this past summer on Alaska’s Kayak Island made walking on its beaches feel like walking through a natural disaster zone, a federal biologist said Thursday. Jacek Maselko, a biologist with the...
Continued Drought, More Tornados Forecasted
Dec 17 2012 // Extreme weather events in 2013 may look much the same as this year — but different. The weather is difficult to predict, but if the weak El Niño forecast for next year holds, it brings with it the promise of continued...
XL’s Preliminary Loss Estimate for Hurricane Sandy around $350 Million
Dec 13 2012 // XL Group plc has announced that its preliminary net loss estimate related to Storm Sandy is around $350 million, pretax and net of reinsurance and reinstatement premiums. XL added that “approximately 60 percent of...
Meadowbrook Insurance Group: $5.1M Known Claims from Hurricane Sandy
Dec 12 2012 // Meadowbrook Insurance Group Inc., headquartered in Southfield, Mich., reported that so far it has approximately $5.1 million of known claims resulting from Hurricane Sandy. The claims reported from Hurricane Sandy are...
Post-Sandy, Weather Service Considers Change to Hurricane Warnings
Dec 11 2012 // The National Weather Service is considering changing how it issues hurricane watches and warnings. Spokesman Chris Vaccaro said in an email last week that the weather service is considering a proposal to issue watches and...
S&P Says Reinsurers Faced Unexpected Risks from Hurricane Sandy
Dec 11 2012 // A report from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services notes that “despite uncertainties regarding final loss totals from Hurricane Sandy expects only a limited ratings impact on insurers and reinsurers exposed...
Alaskan Senator Seeks $15M For Tsunami Debris
Dec 10 2012 // An Alaska senator wants $15 million for tsunami debris clean-up included in a federal disaster relief package for West Coast states affected by Superstorm Sandy. Sen. Mark Begich says the impact of debris from the 2011...
UPDATE: 7.3 Quake off Japan; Tsunami Warnings Cancelled
Dec 7 2012 // News reports are describing an earthquake off the east coast of Japan with a magnitude, estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey, of 7.3. The quake struck approximately 245 kms (153 miles) east-southeast of Kamaishi early...
Hawaii Finds Boat That May Be Tsunami Debris
Dec 6 2012 // The state Department of Land and Natural Resources says a boat recovered from Kahana Bay on Oahu’s windward coast may be tsunami debris that arrived in Hawaii from Japan. The department said Tuesday staff collected...
Earthquake And Drilling Link Prompts Colorado Review
Dec 6 2012 // A new report says earthquakes in Colorado and elsewhere may have been caused by a drilling procedure to dispose of wastewater. In a report announced Wednesday, geophysicists say an increase in earthquakes on the Raton...
UPDATE: Death Toll from Philippine Typhoon Bopha Passes 270
Dec 6 2012 // Mud-stained bodies covered with banana leaves were laid out in a row and survivors dried their soiled belongings on the roadside under a bright sun Wednesday, a day after a typhoon killed more than 270 people [IJ Ed. note:...
$370M Settlement Reached Over Southern California Wildfires
Dec 5 2012 // An electrical contractor and tree-trimming company have agreed to pay $370 million to settle lawsuits over Southern California wildfires that swept San Diego County in 2007. U-T San Diego says PAR Electric and Davey Tree...
AIR Worldwide’s Analysis of Typhoon Bopha’s Impact on the Philippines
Dec 5 2012 // AIR Worldwide’s analysis of Typhoon Botha’s [also named ‘Pablo,’ locally] impact on the Philippines indicates that as “insurance penetration in this area is around 10 percent to 20 percent;...
Philippines’ Biggest Typhoon Kills at least 230; Hundreds More Missing
Dec 5 2012 // The death toll from the Philippines’ strongest typhoon this year rose on Wednesday to around 230, with hundreds missing in landslides and floodwaters, as the storm continued its destructive path across the island...
Thousands Flee as Typhoon Bopha Blows into Philippines
Dec 4 2012 // Thousands of villagers fled from their homes Monday as a strong typhoon roared closer to the southern Philippines, prompting authorities to suspend sea travel in high-risk areas and halt gold-mining in a mountain town...
Official Urges Collaboration On Wildfire Projects in West
Dec 3 2012 // As the western U.S. comes off a tough wildfire season, more collaboration is needed to guard against catastrophic fires and to restore charred forests and rangeland, a senior federal official said at a Western...
