Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
UPDATE: Turkey Quake Toll Mounts; Rescue Work Continues; AIR Analysis
Oct 25 2011 // As rescue workers continued their efforts to find survivors in the debris from collapsed buildings, the death toll from Monday’s earthquake continues to rise. Local officials have said that 279 bodies have been...
AIR Updates Terrorism Insurance Model for U.S.
Oct 24 2011 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide (AIR) has updated its terrorism model for the United States to reflect less frequent and lower-severity attacks based on a reassessment of the threat by a team of terrorism...
FEMA, SBA Extend Deadline for Hurricane Aid in New Jersey
Oct 23 2011 // New Jersey residents and businesses battered by Hurricane Irene will now have more time to seek federal aid to help cover their losses. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration...
Fitch Affirms California Earthquake Authority’s ‘A’ Ratings
Oct 21 2011 // Fitch Ratings has affirmed the “A” rating on California Earthquake Authority’s outstanding fixed-rate revenue bonds, which mature on July 1, 2016, citing the organization’s ability to cover losses...
Louisiana’s Sen. Landrieu Announces $33.9M for Hurricane Katrina Recovery
Oct 21 2011 // U.S. Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., has announced more than $33.9 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to repair New Orleans’ damaged water...
Chubb Profit Falls in Q3
Oct 21 2011 // The Chubb Corp. reported that net income in the third quarter of 2011 was $298 million compared to $572 million in the third quarter of 2010. Net income per share declined to $1.04 from $1.80. Operating income was $252...
ShakeOut in West May Raise Disaster Awareness
Oct 20 2011 // Today may be a good day to sell disaster insurance in the Western United States. A massive earthquake drill set for 10:20 a.m. PDT today is designed to raise awareness of the disasters that can be posed by a massive...
Florida Hurricane Fund Has $3.2 Billion Shortfall
Oct 20 2011 // Florida’s hurricane fund is confronting a potential $3.2 billion shortfall, financial experts said in a new estimate of the money available to the pool intended to help insurers make disaster payments. The fund was...
Weather Losses Trim Q3 Profit for Travelers
Oct 19 2011 // Travelers Companies reported a $333 million net profit after taxes for the third quarter, down from $1.05 billion in the third quarter last year. Hurricane Irene and weaker investment returns hurt results. Its pre-tax...
FEMA Warns N.Y. Residents to Avoid Scams in Wake of Tropical Storm Lee
Oct 17 2011 // New York residents are urged to be alert for potential fraud during recovery and rebuilding efforts following Tropical Storm Lee, officials with the New York State Office of Emergency Management (NYSEMO) and the Federal...
Bermuda Re/Insurers Announce Q3 Cat Loss Estimates
Oct 17 2011 // A number of Bermuda-based re/insurers have announced their respective loss estimates for the third quarter of 2011. The figures given include loss adjustment expenses, and are net of any applicable reinsurance recoveries,...
California Rep. Bill Would Lower Earthquake Insurance Costs
Oct 17 2011 // California’s U.S. Rep. John Campbell (R) recently introduced legislation similar to a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) earlier this year that would strengthen the nation’s natural disaster...
Report on Colorado’s Fourmile Fire: Insurance Losses Exceed $200 Million
Oct 14 2011 // A preliminary report on the 2010 Fourmile Canyon wildfire in Boulder County shows insured losses exceeded $200 million, fire management costs will have exceeded $14 million following rehabilitation efforts, and that while...
State Farm: Its Conn. Deductible Decision Grounded in Fairness
Oct 14 2011 // State Farm Insurance says U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal’s request that the company drop Irene-related hurricane deductibles in Connecticut would actually be unfair to policyholders and introduce all sorts of...
Connecticut Regulators to Revise Hurricane Deductible Rules
Oct 14 2011 // Connecticut insurance regulators are working on revising hurricane deductible rules in the wake of tropical storm Irene. The insurance department spokesperson told Insurance Journal that the new rules under consideration...
AIR Estimates Insured Losses from Hurricane Jova at Less than $52 Million
Oct 14 2011 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, estimates that insured losses caused by Hurricane Jova from flood-induced damage, as well as from some isolated wind damage along Mexico’s southern coastal areas, will be...
New Billing, Commission System at Texas Windstorm Pool Starts Jan. 1
Oct 13 2011 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) will be implementing a new billing and commission system beginning Jan. 1, 2012. In a bulletin to insurance agents, TWIA said under the new system it will assume the...
Sen. Blumenthal Asks State Farm to Drop Hurricane Deductible for Irene
Oct 13 2011 // U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called on State Farm Insurance to drop its hurricane deductible for Connecticut residences whose homes were damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. Blumenthal was joined at his Hartford...
Endurance Appoints Lamer to Head U.S. Property Cat Treaty Reinsurance
Oct 13 2011 // Bermuda-based Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd announced that Rene Lamer will assume the role of Senior Vice President and Head of U.S. Property Catastrophe Treaty Reinsurance. He is a Bermuda citizen, and will continue to...
AIR Analyzes Jova Damages
Oct 13 2011 // According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide’s Dr. Tim Doggett, even though hurricane Jova has weakened to a tropical depression, it’s still capable of causing further damage. “Jova’s slow...
