Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Wildfire Destroys 60 Homes in Washington
Aug 15 2012 // A wildfire between the northwest Washington towns of Cle Elum and Ellensburg at the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains has prompted the evacuation of another 400 homes and Gov. Christine Gregoire to declare a state of...
Ore. Groups To Organize Tsunami Debris Volunteers
Aug 15 2012 // Four nonprofit groups say they will team up to organize and coordinate Oregon volunteers working on tsunami debris. The World of Coos Bay reports the groups plan to create a data base of people who can monitor the Oregon...
AIR Worldwide Now Offering Builder’s Risk Capability
Aug 14 2012 // AIR Worldwide (AIR) has expanded its offerings for commercial insurers with a capability for determining losses from natural catastrophes to buildings under construction. CLASIC/2Version 14.0 introduces the ability to...
Louisiana Citizens Seeking to Settle Hurricane Lawsuits
Aug 13 2012 // Louisiana’s property insurer of last resort is trying to negotiate settlements on two remaining class action lawsuits tied to the company’s handling of claims after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The board for...
Wildfires Threaten to Burn Precious Natural Parks in Spain
Aug 13 2012 // Fierce wildfires forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and were threatening some of Spain’s most precious natural parks, including one that is a UNESCO world heritage site, officials said Sunday. Fires on...
Oklahoma, Federal Officials Assess Wildfire Damage
Aug 10 2012 // Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and state and federal emergency management officials have surveyed parts of the state scorched by recent wildfires. The group viewed damage in Cleveland County on Aug. 9 where they stopped at the...
Increased Chance of Above-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season Despite El Niño
Aug 10 2012 // This year’s Atlantic hurricane season got off to a busy start, with six named storms to date, and may have a busy second half, according to the updated hurricane season outlook issued today by government weather...
AIR Update on Typhoon Haikui, as Storm Hits China
Aug 9 2012 // According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide Typhoon Haikui, the 11th typhoon of 2012 Pacific season, made landfall in Hepu Township in Xiangshan County of China’s Zhejiang Province at 3:20 am local time...
Weakened Hurricane Ernesto Causes Minimal Damage
Aug 9 2012 // Hurricane Ernesto weakened to a tropical storm as it passed over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, Ernesto made landfall overnight as a Category 1 hurricane near the...
Series Of Small Earthquakes Strikes Southern California
Aug 8 2012 // A series of small earthquakes and aftershocks hit Southern California on Tuesday and Wednesday. A 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck Yorba Linda, Calif. at 11:23 p.m. on Tuesday, with several small aftershocks following. Then...
Recent Oklahoma Wildfires Result in 340 Insurance Claims
Aug 8 2012 // Recent wildfires in Oklahoma have resulted in at least 340 insurance claims statewide, authorities say, but many victims don’t have homeowners insurance. The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) said it is working...
Ohio Weather Officials Confirm Weekend Tornado
Aug 8 2012 // Weather officials have confirmed what many residents of a northeastern Ohio town suspected: A tornado touched down there over the weekend. The National Weather Service said severe weather that caused damage to a section of...
China Braces for Another Typhoon; Japan on Alert: AIR Analysis
Aug 8 2012 // According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, residents along coastal cities in eastern China are preparing for their third typhoon in less than a week. Just last weekend, two powerful typhoons—Damrey and...
Philippines Rushes Aid to 850,000 People Affected by Floods
Aug 8 2012 // Emergency workers and troops rushed food, water and clothes to nearly 850,000 people displaced and marooned from deadly floods spawned by 11 straight days of southwest monsoon rains that soaked the Philippine capital and...
UPDATE: Cat I Hurricane Ernesto Nears Mexico, Belize
Aug 8 2012 // According to the latest report from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, the center of category 1 Hurricane Ernesto was about 20 miles, 35 km, north of Chetumal, Mexico and about 160 miles, 260 km, east south east of...
Wildfire Danger In Eastern Washington
Aug 7 2012 // The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for critical wildfire danger in Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon and Northern Idaho. Dry lighting from scattered thunderstorms could ignite dry grass and shrubs....
Deadly Storms Inspire Indiana Shelter Inventors
Aug 7 2012 // When tornadoes tore through southern Indiana and other Midwest states in March, killing at least 13 people and nearly demolishing Henryville, Bob Gray and Steve Clingaman knew they were working on a project worth investing...
TS Ernesto Strengthens; Expected to Impact Belize, Mexico; AIR Analysis
Aug 7 2012 // Tropical Storm Ernesto is gaining strength as it moves west-northwest at around 13 mph, 20 km/h, according to the latest bulletin – 5:00 a.m. EDT – from the National Hurricane Center in Miami. As it moves along...
Insurance Council’s 7th Annual Hurricane Tour Stresses Preparation
Aug 6 2012 // Be prepared. That’s the message insurance agents, National Weather Service meteorologists and a bilingual public affairs spokesperson will bring to Texas coastal residents when they join the Insurance Council of...
Mississippi Law Calling for Hurricane Mitigation Credits Takes Effect
Aug 6 2012 // Mississippi residents along the state’s coastline who are building new homes or chose to strengthen their current homes against hurricane damage can now qualify for premium credits from their property insurer. Under...
