Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Noel Leaves over 60 Dead; Bahamas, Florida Coast Warnings
Nov 1 2007 // It may not have reached hurricane strength, but tropical storm Noel has piled up a lengthening list of death and destruction, as it heads towards the Bahamas. The slow moving storm caused the deaths of at least 40 people...
5.6 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes San Jose Area
Oct 31 2007 // An magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area last night, around 8 p.m., about 9 miles northeast of San Jose, according to the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program. Ten aftershocks were felt,...
Calif. Wildfire Claims Up To About 14,000
Oct 31 2007 // Roughly 14,000 insurance claims have been filed as a result of last week’s fire and wind storms, according to the Insurance Information Network of California. Working in partnership with the Insurance Information...
Tropical Storm Noel Lashes Caribbean
Oct 30 2007 // Noel, a late season tropical storm, has caused extensive damage in the Dominican Republic and threatens greater havoc in Haiti. The two countries, who share the island of Hispaniola, have been hit with high winds and...
Noel Threatens Bahamas, Not U.S.
Oct 30 2007 // According to the most recent bulletin from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Tropical Storm Noel’s projected track should keep it well away from the U.S. mainland. The storm, the 14th of the season, has caused...
Guy Carp Partners with WSI Corp. to Assess U.S. Hurricane Risks
Oct 30 2007 // Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, Marsh & McLennan’s global risk and reinsurance unit, has announced a collaboration with WSI Corporation, a provider of weather-driven business solutions, to “help cedants...
Avocado Crops Hard Hit by Wildfires
Oct 30 2007 // Wind-driven wildfires that torched Southern California have charred fruit orchards, wilted flowers and littered the ground with avocados, delivering a devastating blow to area farmers already reeling from a deep winter...
Ky. Tornadoes Render Owensboro’s Oldest Bar Unsalvageable
Oct 29 2007 // An Owensboro, Ky., bar that dates back to the end of Prohibition is being torn down after tornadoes that were part of storms that swept through western Kentucky caused irreparable damage to the structure. Martin’s...
House Leader: 120-Day Extension for Federal Terrorism Insurance Possible
Oct 29 2007 // A key House leader says he will push for a 120-day extension of the federal terrorism reinsurance program that expires at year’s end rather than simply accept the Senate bill that is narrower in scope than the House...
Analyst: Wildfire Losses Estimated To Be At Least $1.5 Billion
Oct 29 2007 // Using the latest information on current and forecast fire perimeters and observed wind speeds, catastrophe risk modeling company AIR Worldwide Corp. estimates insured losses from California wildfires will be at least 1.5...
Editor’s Note: No coasting
Oct 27 2007 // While Congress continues to debate whether to launch any sort of national disaster backup plan or add wind coverage to the federal flood program, states are coming up with some of their own ideas — big and small...
S.C. chief urges hurricane damage formula – before storms hit
Oct 27 2007 // News Currents South Carolina Insurance Director Scott Richardson is proposing a loss-allocation method that he hopes will alleviate any confusion between water damage and wind damage the next time a hurricane reduces...
News Currents
Oct 27 2007 // Despite hurricane, coastal insurance ‘road show’ goes on Agents help spread the message about necessary coverages Tropical storms and hurricanes tend to put a hitch in the most well crafted plans. Such was the...
Assessing and managing wildfire risk
Oct 27 2007 // This summer, much of the western United States was in flames. Wildfires spurred by above-normal spring and summer temperatures, and one of the worst droughts in decades charred several million acres across the 11 western...
Insurers Rebut Claims Policies Will Be Cancelled Due to Wildfires
Oct 26 2007 // Insurance industry associations in California are hoping to quell concerns stirred up they say by the media and politicians that indicate homeowners’ policies would be cancelled because of the wildfires. The...
Chubb Reports 3d Quarter Net Income Up 22%
Oct 26 2007 // The Chubb Corp. reported that net income in the third quarter of 2007 was $738 million or $1.87 per share, compared to $604 million or $1.43 per share in the third quarter of 2006. Operating income, which the company...
Fitch: Calif. Wildfires May Be Largest U.S. Wildfire Insured Loss Ever
Oct 25 2007 // Insured losses from wildfires continuing to spread in Southern California could likely become the costliest catastrophe insured loss event in 2007 and may potentially become the costliest wildfire catastrophe insured loss...
Slow, Plodding Hurricane Recovery Problems Await New La. Gov.
Oct 24 2007 // Newly elected Gov. Bobby Jindal will face a slew of hurricane recovery problems that plagued his predecessor, but Jindal isn’t charting a complete shake-up of Louisiana’s recovery efforts. Instead, Jindal, a...
Santa Ana Winds Continue to Fuel Southern California Wildfires
Oct 24 2007 // Major fires continue to burn in Southern California, in some cases fueling new fires. There are currently 15 fires burning 414,013 acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The large number of separate...
Fireman’s Fund Offering Wildfire Recovery Services to Agents
Oct 24 2007 // Novato, Calif.-based Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. announced it is offering all Southern California customers — homeowners and commercial customers — and independent agents free wildfire recovery...
