Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
9/11 and Terrorism Risk 10 Years Later
Sep 19 2011 // The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks forever changed how the insurance industry views terrorism risk, says Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute. For the global insurance and reinsurance...
Americans Have False Sense of Security About Catastrophes, Survey Finds
Sep 19 2011 // Even after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, most Americans have a false sense of security when it comes to their readiness for a natural disaster or major terrorist attack, according to researchers at Columbia University. A new...
Irene Raises Hurricane Deductible Questions in Northeast States
Sep 19 2011 // New York and New Jersey regulators said recently that hurricane deductibles should not apply on homeowners’ insurance policies for Irene damages in their states. That’s because Irene was downgraded and...
U.S. Taking a Beating from Disasters
Sep 19 2011 // Nature is pummeling the United States this year with extremes. Unprecedented triple-digit heat and devastating drought. Deadly tornadoes leveling towns. Massive rivers overflowing. A billion-dollar blizzard. And now,...
Wildfires in Texas’ Bastrop County Destroy More than 1,500 Homes
Sep 19 2011 // The number of homes destroyed by wildfires in a single Texas county had risen to 1,554 as of Sept. 11, 2011. The massive Bastrop County Complex fire was one of a rash of wildfires that broke out across drought-stricken...
Alabama Names Tornado Recovery Panel
Sep 19 2011 // Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has chosen the president and CEO of Protective Life Corp., Johnny Johns, and the publisher of The Birmingham News, Pam Siddall, to lead his Tornado Recovery Action Council. Retired aerospace...
North Carolina Senate Panel Learns Hurricane Irene’s Costs
Sep 16 2011 // The state agency overseeing North Carolina’s response to Hurricane Irene estimates the price tag on helping individuals and governments recover from Hurricane Irene so far at about $125 million. The Division of...
AIR Lowers Insured Loss Estimates for Hurricane Irene in the Bahamas
Sep 16 2011 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide has revised its industry insured loss estimates for Hurricane Irene’s impact in the Bahamas to between $200 million and $400 million (previously $300 million to $700...
Calmer Winds to Slow Growth of Minnesota Wildfire
Sep 15 2011 // Calmer winds were expected to slow the growth of a huge wildfire that has engulfed woodland in northeastern Minnesota and blanketed cities hundreds of miles away with a smoky haze, the U.S. Forest Service said. The blaze...
Allstate Reports $500M in Losses from Hurricane Irene
Sep 15 2011 // Allstate Corp. lost $500 million on Hurricane Irene, the largest publicly traded home and auto insurer in the United States said Thursday, much less than it lost from tornadoes earlier this year. In total, Allstate said...
No Major Injuries or Damage After Alabama Earthquake
Sep 15 2011 // Authorities say no major damage or injuries were reported after an earthquake in the metro Birmingham area Tuesday evening. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the 3.0 quake was centered about two miles southwest of...
Best Affirms Lloyd’s Syndicate 510 and Kiln Group Ratings; Outlook Stable
Sep 15 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of ‘a+’ of Lloyd’s Syndicate 510, which is managed...
AIR Updates European Wind, Earthquake Cat Models
Sep 15 2011 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide has released updates to its Extratropical Cyclone and Earthquake Models for Europe. AIR said it had “significantly expanded” both models to include additional...
Insured Losses from Texas Wildfires Could Reach $250 Million
Sep 14 2011 // An industry group says insured losses from a week of Texas wildfires could reach $250 million. The Insurance Council of Texas offered the estimate for the more than 180 wildfires reported statewide since Labor Day...
Japan Marks 6 Months Since Earthquake, Tsunami
Sep 13 2011 // Up and down Japan’s devastated northeast coast, survivors prayed and communities came together Sunday to mark six months since the massive earthquake and tsunami struck on March 11, a date that changed everything for...
Southern California Wildfires Prompt Evacuations
Sep 12 2011 // Several structures are being threatened by one of more than 50 wildfires in the Southern California area of Kern County. The fires, which were sparked by lightning strikes, are segretated in three main areas of Kern,...
President Obama Signs Disaster Aid for Texas Wildfires
Sep 12 2011 // President Barack Obama has signed a federal disaster declaration for Texas in the wake of wildfires in the state. The move allows federal funding to be made available to individuals in Bastrop County in the central part of...
String of Wildfires Takes Toll on Texas Firefighters
Sep 12 2011 // The flames of the massive wildfire that had swallowed nearly 1,400 homes in Central Texas had been tamed, but Webster Fire Chief Patrick Shipp and his crew — veterans of a fire season pushing his team to the limit —...
Americans Have False Sense of Security About Catastrophes: Survey
Sep 12 2011 // Even after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, most Americans have a false sense of security when it comes to their readiness for a natural disaster or major terrorist attack, according to researchers at Columbia University. A new...
Georgia Tornado Damage Estimated at $15M
Sep 12 2011 // Authorities estimate that a recent tornado and strong storms in north Georgia inflicted at least $15 million in damage. Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said that the damage estimate was preliminary and could grow as...
