Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
White House Denies Earthquake Aid for Oklahoma
Dec 5 2011 // The White House has denied a request from the state of Oklahoma for individual assistance for those affected by a series of earthquakes in November. Gov. Mary Fallin said she’s disappointed and will consider other...
Oklahoma Gov. Requests Earthquake Disaster Assistance
Dec 5 2011 // Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin is requesting a federal disaster declaration in the wake of a series of earthquakes that rumbled through the state in November. Fallin made the formal request on Nov. 22 to help individuals,...
80% of Claims from May Tornado in Minneapolis Resolved
Dec 5 2011 // The Minnesota Department of Commerce reported that insurance companies have resolved about 80 percent of the claims generated after a tornado swept through north Minneapolis in May. The agency said that policyholders filed...
Post Tornado, Joplin, Missouri, Rebuilding Permits Setting Records
Dec 5 2011 // Joplin, Mo., is building at a record pace after the town was devastated by a tornado in May, and city officials said they expect the activity to continue into next year. The city has issued an average of $35.4 million in...
More Small Earthquakes in Oklahoma
Dec 5 2011 // At least five small earthquakes were recorded in central Oklahoma over the long Thanksgiving weekend. The U.S. Geological Survey said a 2.4 magnitude tremor was recorded at 6:55 a.m. on Nov. 26 about five miles south of...
Availability of Earthquake Insurance Increasing in Oklahoma
Dec 5 2011 // Two managing general insurance agencies have increased earthquake insurance coverage in Oklahoma in the aftermath of the 5.6 magnitude tremblor that occurred near Sparks on Nov. 5. The Oklahoma Insurance Department said...
Report Links Wildfires to Immigrants in Arizona
Dec 5 2011 // A study by Congress’ investigative arm issued in late November shows investigators have linked 30 fires that erupted in a five-year period in Arizona’s border region to people who crossed into the United States...
Small Earthquakes Recorded in Northern Arkansas, Central Oklahoma
Nov 30 2011 // Small earthquakes have shaken parts of northern Arkansas and central Oklahoma A 2.6 magnitude quake struck early morning in the morning on Nov. 29 near Hardy, Ark. The 911 call center in Sharp County didn’t have any...
Insurers Pay Out $1.13B for Joplin, Missouri Tornado Damage
Nov 30 2011 // Insurance companies have paid out $1.13 billion in claims from the Joplin tornado, and that’s expected to climb to as much as $1.9 billion, the state’s insurance department director said. An estimated 7,500...
Hiscox Designs Terrorism Product for Healthcare Industry
Nov 30 2011 // Hiscox has launched a terrorism liability product designed specifically for healthcare risks such as hospitals, physician offices, researchers and long-term care providers. The carrier says the product, which was designed...
Minor Earthquake Near Yakutat
Nov 29 2011 // The Alaska Earthquake Information Center says there was a minor earthquake near Yakutat. The earthquake occurred Saturday at 5:21 p.m. and was centered 43 miles north of Yakutat, a coastal town on the Gulf of Alaska. It...
Judge Orders Georgia Tornado-Damaged Hotel Demolished
Nov 29 2011 // A city judge in the northwest Georgia town of Ringgold has ordered a tornado-ravaged hotel to be torn down. Judge Gene Lowery said in a hearing last week that the Baymont Inn & Suites is an eyesore and must be...
Active 2011 Hurricane Season Breaks ‘Hurricane Amnesia’
Nov 29 2011 // The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends Wednesday, having produced a total of 19 tropical storms of which seven became hurricanes, including three major hurricanes. This level of activity matched predictions by...
80% of Claims from May Tornado in Minneapolis Have Been Resolved
Nov 28 2011 // The Minnesota Department of Commerce has reported that insurance companies have resolved about 80 percent of the claims generated after a tornado swept through north Minneapolis in May. The agency said that policyholders...
More Earthquakes Recorded in Oklahoma; Gov. Requests Disaster Assistance
Nov 28 2011 // At least five small earthquakes were recorded in central Oklahoma over the long Thanksgiving weekend. The U.S. Geological Survey says a 2.4 magnitude tremor was recorded at 6:55 a.m. on Nov. 26 about five miles south of...
Insured Loss Estimate from Hurricane Irene Rises to $4.3 Billion
Nov 28 2011 // An insurance industry service that tracks catastrophe losses has sharply raised its estimates for August’s Hurricane Irene, projecting insured property damage of $4.3 billion from the first hurricane to hit the...
Report Links Wildfires to Immigrants in Arizona
Nov 23 2011 // A study by Congress’ investigative arm shows investigators have linked 30 fires that erupted in a five-year period in Arizona’s border region to people who crossed into the United States illegally — a...
Midlands Management Enhances Earthquake Coverage in Oklahoma
Nov 23 2011 // Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak announced that an Oklahoma general insurance agency is adding earthquake deductible buy-down insurance as a means of making the cost of recovering from earthquake damage more...
Tornado Recovery Efforts Ongoing in Oklahoma’s McClain County
Nov 22 2011 // An amputee needed a new wheelchair ramp to get into his tornado-damaged home. Some of his neighbors have moved into trailers, or remained in their damaged houses where they sleep on screened-in porches. Others have had no...
Small Oklahoma Quake Reinforces Need for Repsonse, Preparedness Training
Nov 22 2011 // A small earthquake was recorded in central Oklahoma on Nov. 21 — on a day that executives from the California Earthquake Authority met with officials from the Oklahoma Insurance Department to discuss earthquake response...
