Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Forecasters Predict Active Hurricane Season
Mar 15 2010 // Meteorologists are predicting an active 2010 hurricane season with above-normal threats on the U.S. coastline. Hurricane Forecaster Joe Bastardi, with the AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center, said Wednesday that he predicts...
Hiscox Underwriting Chief on 2010 Outlook
Mar 11 2010 // London-based specialty insurer Hiscox, which launched a significantly expanded U.S. presence in 2006, saw gross profits reach record levels ($481 million) in 2009. In this exclusive interview with Insurance Journal, Hiscox...
Calif. Earthquake Authority CEO Testifies In Support of Cat Insurance Bill
Mar 11 2010 // California Earthquake Authority CEO Glenn Pomeroy testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity and Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government...
Powerful Tornadoes in Arkansas Damage Homes; Injuries Reported
Mar 11 2010 // Three powerful tornadoes touched down in Arkansas on March 10, damaging homes and injuring at least four people, Risk Management Solutions (RMS) has reported. According to National Weather Service, the first of the three...
Aftershocks Rattle Chile, as New President is Sworn In; RMS Analysis
Mar 11 2010 // Sebastian Pinera’s inauguration as Chile’s new president was accompanied by a blunt reminder of the peril the country faces from earthquakes as two large aftershocks struck just before the ceremony According to...
House Panels Face Environmental, Insurer Groups Over Catastrophe Bill
Mar 10 2010 // Two House subcommittees have scheduled a joint hearing today on ways to address homeowners insurance costs in disaster-prone communities, an issue that has some environmentalists, taxpayer groups and insurers standing...
Report: Reno Has Good Chance of Big Quake by 2060
Mar 10 2010 // The chance of a significant earthquake rocking the Reno-Sparks, Nev., area over the next half century is on the rise, with a 67 percent likelihood a magnitude 6.0 will strike within 31 miles by 2060, a new report...
PartnerRe Gives Loss Estimates for Chile Quake, Windstorm Xynthia
Mar 9 2010 // Bermuda-based PartnerRe Ltd has issued preliminary estimates of expected claims from the earthquake in Chile and European Windstorm Xynthia. Total insured industry losses from the M8.8 earthquake in Chile, which hit on...
Bermuda Insurers, Reinsurers Oppose State Cat Fund Bill – HR 2555
Mar 9 2010 // The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR) has filed an opposition to HR 2555 which, the Association warns would “replace private sector risk bearing capital with government reinsurance and government...
Hawaii Senate Committee OKs Using Hurricane Relief Fund to End Furloughs
Mar 8 2010 // Hawaii’s Senate Ways and Means Committee has advanced a bill that would use money from the state’s Hurricane Relief Fund to end school furlough days. Senate Bill 2124 notes that reductions and restrictions to...
Uncertainty Pervades the Terrorism Insurance Market
Mar 8 2010 // Threats Rise and TRIA Funding Comes Under Attack The threat of terrorism in the United States is rising, but the future of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) is in question. At a time when top U.S. officials warn of...
Uncertainty Pervades the Terrorism Insurance Market
Mar 7 2010 // As Threats Rise, TRIA Funding Comes Under Attack The threat of domestic terrorism is rising, but the future of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) is in question. At a time when top U.S. officials warn of an imminent...
Uncertainty Pervades the Terrorism Insurance Market
Mar 7 2010 // Threats On Rise and TRIA Funding Faces Possible Cutback; Standalone Market Could Gain The threat of terrorism in the U.S. is rising but the future of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) is in question. At a time when...
Florida Cabinet Delays Hurricane Fund Assessments
Mar 7 2010 // The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund needs $710 million to continue to pay claims still coming in from 2005’s Hurricane Wilma but it is going to have to wait to assess policyholders to get those funds. The Florida...
Hurricane Forecasters Promise Earlier Warnings
Mar 7 2010 // The National Hurricane Center has vowed it will begin issuing storm watches and warnings about half a day sooner in the biggest change to its warning system in decades. When a storm is approaching land, forecasters will...
Texas Catastrophic Weather Losses Totaled $2.5B in 2009
Mar 7 2010 // Texas in 2009 experienced weather catastrophes that resulted in more insured losses than any other state. Texas experienced 10 weather catastrophes in 2009 that caused nearly $2.5 billion in losses. The next highest state...
Terrorism and Intentional Acts: Austin Plane Crash Raises Coverage Questions
Mar 7 2010 // IRS Worker’s Widow Files Suit to Determine Insurance Coverage Austin, Texas, Police Chief Art Acevedo stopped short of calling the crashing of a small plane into a commercial office building in northwest Austin on...
A ‘Great Earthquake’ Strikes Chile; Insurance Doesn’t Pose Systemic Risks to the Economy; Berkshire Buys More Munich Re
Mar 7 2010 // February was a short month, but a deadly one. In addition to a massive earthquake in Chile, the Northeastern U.S. was hit by three blizzards; floods and mudslides ravaged the Portuguese island of Madeira and beleaguered...
Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Shakes Taiwan; AIR, EQECAT Analysis
Mar 5 2010 // Catastrophe risk modeling firms AIR Worldwide and EQECAT have both issued bulletins analyzing the magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck south central Taiwan Thursday morning at 8:20 a.m. local time. AIR noted that the...
Countries Raise Security in Malacca Strait after Terror Warning
Mar 5 2010 // Malaysia and Indonesia said on Thursday they are stepping up security in the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, following the Singapore navy’s warning of possible attacks on oil...
