Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Fake Hurricane Helps Mississippi Responders Prepare for Real One
Jun 1 2012 // Hurricane Natasha was a fake storm, but Mississippi’s emergency responders treated it like it was the real thing. Natasha was a simulated Category 3 hurricane used Wednesday as part of a training exercise for the...
Michigan Upper Peninsula Wildfire Destroys 115 Structures
May 31 2012 // State officials say 115 structures, including homes and a motel, have been destroyed by a wildfire in the Upper Peninsula. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said the wildfire in Luce County’s Duck Lake...
New Earthquake Faults Uncovered West Of Lake Tahoe
May 31 2012 // Scientists studying earthquake faults in the mountains west of Lake Tahoe say new, high-resolution imaging technology has helped uncover more substantial seismic hazards than previously thought to exist there. The steep,...
NYC Publishes New Edition of ‘Ready New York’ Hurricane Guide
May 31 2012 // New York City’s Office of Emergency Management has published a new edition of its hurricane guide.The new hurricane guide is available for free download from nyc.org.Titled “Ready New York: Hurricanes and New...
Md. Officials Ask Homeowners: ‘Are You Ready for Hurricane Season?’
May 30 2012 // As the Atlantic hurricane season approaches, Maryland’s insurance regulators are asking homeowners, “Do you know what your homeowners insurance policy covers if your property is damaged?” The Atlantic...
Crews Work to Protect Structures in Michigan Wildfire
May 30 2012 // Crews worked on May 29 to ensure that no more structures were damaged by a wildfire burning across more than 30 square miles of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as high winds in the forecast threatened to test firefighting...
Wildfire Now New Mexico’s Largest Recorded
May 30 2012 // A wildfire in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest has consumed 170,252 acres, making it the largest wildfire on record in New Mexico, a fire incident spokesman told the news website msnbc.com. “It’s...
Florida City Doubles in Size Since Hurricane Andrew
May 30 2012 // The havoc wreaked by Hurricane Andrew in Homestead, Florida two decades ago still serves as a warning about the devastation even a slow tropical storm season can bring. Homestead was ground zero when Andrew plowed ashore...
Another Earthquake Strikes Northern Italy
May 29 2012 // On Tuesday, May 29 a Mw5.8 (moment magnitude) earthquake struck the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, a little more than a week after a Mw6.0 earthquake struck the region on Sunday, May 20. According to the U.S....
Researchers to Fill Gaps in Georgia Hurricane History
May 29 2012 // Before Georgia began its current streak of 114 years without a major hurricane, the state’s coastline was a fairly frequent target in the 1800s. At least six big storms, some of them responsible for violent death...
Arizona Towns At Risk As Wildfires Hit Southwest
May 25 2012 // An Arizona wildfire threatened two more towns on Friday, with high winds on the way, as firefighters made progress against the largest of several fires spreading across the U.S. Southwest. More than 1,000 firefighters in...
Virginia’s Sales-Tax Holiday on Hurricane-Prep Items Begins Today
May 25 2012 // Virginia residents can prepare for the upcoming hurricane season and save money at the same time. The Virginia Department of Taxation says the state’s sales-tax holiday on emergency items such as batteries,...
Hurricane Bud Moving to Mexico’s Coast
May 25 2012 // A tropical storm warning has been issued for the west coast of Mexico as Hurricane Bud gains strength in the Pacific. The warning was in effect early Thursday for Mexico’s Pacific coast from Punto Telmo to Cabo...
U.S. Insurers Have Capacity to Provide 2012 Hurricane Coverage: Fitch
May 25 2012 // Sufficient capacity remains available in the insurance and reinsurance markets to meet the demand for coverage prior to the approaching U.S. hurricane season, according to Fitch Ratings. Early forecasts for the 2012 U.S....
NOAA Forecasts ‘Near Normal’ 4 to 8 Atlantic Hurricanes in 2012
May 25 2012 // The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season will be “near normal” with nine to 15 tropical storms and four to eight of those will strengthen into hurricanes, the U.S. government weather agency predicted on Thursday. One...
R.I. Enacts New Law to Assist Homeowners With Hurricane-Related Claims
May 24 2012 // Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee on Tuesday signed into law legislation designed to provide additional protection to homeowners when they suffer damages from hurricanes. The legislation (House bill 2012-H7484A and Senate...
Insurers Paid $200M to Victims of June 1, 2011 Massachusetts Tornadoes
May 23 2012 // Massachusetts officials said that insurers so far paid out $200 million in claims related to devastating tornadoes in western and central Massachusetts that occurred on June 1, 2011. The Massachusetts Insurance Division...
After Joplin Tornado, Town Looked Like a War Zone, Adjusters Say
May 22 2012 // “One of the eeriest things was … the lack of noise. There were no birds. There was no sound. There was no vegetation. There was nothing. There were no dogs. There were no cars. It was just mounds of rubble,”...
Colorado Wildfire 87 Percent Contained
May 21 2012 // Firefighters in Colorado are working to finish containment lines around a blaze that has burned 12 square miles. The fire in the northern part of the state was 87 percent contained Monday and managers expect it to fully...
Season’s First Tropical Storm Forms Off Carolina Coast
May 21 2012 // Tropical Storm Alberto emerged off South Carolina’s coastline Sunday, the first storm of its kind to form in a hurricane season that doesn’t officially begin until June 1. The storm was not expected to approach...
