Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Wildfire Burns Homes Near South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach
Apr 24 2009 // A coastal wildfire spread early Thursday toward one of the busiest tourist stretches in South Carolina, burning dozens of homes and forcing hundreds to flee in the middle of the night. No injuries were reported. Police...
Florida’s Property Insurance Market: An Overview by Commissioner McCarty
Apr 24 2009 // It is always interesting, and frequently amusing, to read various “research” pieces on the Florida property insurance market. While I, like every other insurance regulator, industry professional and observer in...
Texas Agents Rate Companies on 2008 Hurricane Response
Apr 24 2009 // Insurance companies responding to last year’s hurricanes Dolly and Ike were given generally good marks by independent agents along the Texas coast in a recent member survey by the Independent Insurance Agents of...
Insurers, Environmental Advocates Urge Changes to Protect U.S. Coastlines
Apr 23 2009 // A coalition of insurers, public officials, risk experts, builders and conservation groups introduced a blueprint of policy changes and common sense actions that could reduce economic losses from future storms and rising...
California AIG Sylmar Wildfire Survivors To Receive Additional Coverage
Apr 22 2009 // The California Department of Insurance (CDI) has secured between $37 million and $46 million in additional coverage from AIG for Sayre Fire survivors in Sylmar. Commissioner Poizner was joined by Los Angeles City...
Severe Storm Season Like 2008 Could Occur Once Every 4 to 5 Years, RMS Predicts
Apr 22 2009 // As the peak tornado season rapidly approaches in May, Risk Management Solutions (RMS), a provider of products and services for catastrophe risk management, has released a special report analyzing the impact of the 2008...
Hawaii’s Big Island Rattled by Strong Earthquake
Apr 21 2009 // Officials say a strong earthquake shook parts of Hawaii’s Big Island but no damage has been reported. U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says a temblor with a magnitude of 5.0 struck Tuesday,...
Signs Around Los Angeles Beaches Warn of Tsunami Threat
Apr 20 2009 // Like many Californians who put down roots in earthquake country, Robin Rudisill knows the “Big One” could strike without warning. Yet from her Venice beachfront duplex, Rudisill worries about a different...
Moderate Earthquake Rattles Northwest China; No Injuries Reported
Apr 20 2009 // Chinese seismological authorities say a moderate earthquake registering a magnitude of 5.5 Sunday struck China’s far western Xinjiang region. No injuries were immediately reported. An official from the Xinjiang...
Forecaster WSI Reduces 2009 Season Hurricane Count to 6
Apr 20 2009 // The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season will produce 11 tropical storms, of which six will become hurricanes, WSI Corp predicted Monday. The Andover, Massachusetts, private forecaster reduced its forecast from the one it issued...
Oklahoma Wildfire Damage Estimates Increased to $30M
Apr 20 2009 // An Oklahoma insurance official says insured losses from recent wildfires that destroyed more than 100 structures in Oklahoma are expected to reach $30 million. Assistant Insurance Commissioner Marc Young says that figure...
<em>09.13.08, Hurricane Ike</em>: Must See TV
Apr 20 2009 // For Galveston, Texas, and nearby coastal areas, the recovery from Hurricane Ike, the massive storm that devastated the Texas coast on Sept. 13, 2008, has been a slow and painful process. Now, a powerful new documentary...
Timing Earthquake Coverage
Apr 20 2009 // Why Trying to Time Earthquake Coverage Purchase Is Like Trying to Time the Stock Market Ask anyone who has been impacted by the recent volatility of the stock market, and they will tell you that it’s almost...
The Weather Goblins
Apr 20 2009 // Who let the weather goblins out? Tornadoes, wildfires and floods, oh my! With all the weather related disasters out in full force this (and seemingly every) spring, there should be some kind of scary, Halloween-type...
Market Timing: A Faulty Strategy on Earthquake Coverage
Apr 20 2009 // Many Clients Buy Coverage When Earthquake Activity Arises, Then Cancel When It Subsides Ask anyone who has been affected by the recent volatility of the stock market, and they will tell you that it’s almost...
Hurricane Prediction Lowered
Apr 20 2009 // While lawmakers in coastal states debated property insurance rates and reforms, forecasters lowered their 2009 Atlantic forecast to 12 tropical storms, of which six could become hurricanes. The Colorado State University...
Cat 5 Litigation in the Forecast?
Apr 20 2009 // As 2008 Hurricane Claims Enter Court and New Season Approaches, Katrina Issues Linger The 2008 hurricane season was the sixth most active tropical storm season recorded since data collection began in 1851. Six storms made...
Windstorm Insurance Debate Begins in Texas, Finally
Apr 20 2009 // Texas legislators on April 7 finally jumped into debate over how to improve the troubled windstorm insurance system that serves as a last resort for hurricane protection along much of the Gulf Coast. The House Insurance...
The Weather Goblins
Apr 20 2009 // Who let the weather goblins out? Tornadoes, wildfires and floods, oh my! With all the weather related disasters out in full force this (and seemingly every) spring, there should be some kind of scary, Halloween-type...
It Figures
Apr 20 2009 // 1,000 Emergency management officials in Polk County, Ark., said about 1,000 homes were damaged or destroyed during the tornadoes that ripped through the county on April 9. James Reeves, Polk County emergency management...
