Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
News Currents
May 21 2007 // Spring wildfires, floods wreak havoc from coast to coast Inmates from the Georgia Department of Corrections use Class A foam and rakes Tuesday, May 1, 2007 to extinguish the remains of a fire in Waycross, Ga. As part of a...
Claims against insurance agents and brokers: Timing is everything
May 21 2007 // In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many insurance agents and brokers in Louisiana and Mississippi and, to some extent, in Texas have found themselves being sued for allegedly failing to advise their customers...
Hurricane Chief: Millions Wasted on NOAA Publicity Campaign
May 21 2007 // The federal government is spending millions of dollars on a publicity campaign while its hurricane forecasters are struggling with budget cuts, according to the National Hurricane Center’s director. The National...
State Farm Claims at $12 Million After Deadly Kansas Tornado
May 21 2007 // State Farm Insurance Co. has paid out about $12 million in claims with more still coming in after a Kansas tornado that destroyed a town two weeks ago and killed at least a dozen people, the company said. Home and auto...
Insurers Try to Prevent Losses in Wildfire Hotspots
May 21 2007 // Spooked by devastating wildfire seasons, the nation’s top insurers are inspecting homes in high-risk areas throughout the West and threatening to cancel coverage if owners don’t clear brush or take other...
Director: FEMA More Prepared than Ever for Hurricane Season
May 18 2007 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency is more prepared than ever for the 2007 hurricane season, having at the ready helicopters, generators, disaster medical teams and road clearing crews to react within hours, according...
Fla. Building Codes, Revamped Since Andrew, Still Being Worked
May 18 2007 // When Category 5 Hurricane Andrew damaged or destroyed more than 125,000 Florida homes and left about 250,000 people homeless in south Miami-Dade County, the destruction was born from a mix of 165 mph winds, outdated...
Insurance Group Praises Industry for Timely Response to Kan. Tornado
May 18 2007 // Gov. Marc Racicot, president of the American Insurance Association (AIA), praised the insurance industry for its quick response in assessing the damage and paying policyholder claims in the aftermath of the devastating...
While Residents, Insurers Fret, Contractors Welcome Storms
May 18 2007 // With the 2007 hurricane season on the horizon, Steve Munnell acknowledges that the state’s roofing contractors are “praying for rain.” The executive director of the Florida Roofing, Sheet Metal and Air...
Many Florida Families Still Struggling as New Hurricane Season Nears
May 18 2007 // Terri Rose was living comfortably with her four children when 2004’s Hurricane Frances ripped a hole in the family’s roof. A few weeks later, Hurricane Jeanne soaked everything. Their home was condemned, then...
RMS Withdraws Five-Year Hurricane Model from Florida
May 18 2007 // Risk Management Solutions has withdrawn a short-term, five-year hurricane forecasting model submitted for approval to Florida officials after being told the model did not meet required standards. Mitch Sattler, RMS vice...
Tougher Fla. Building Codes Still a Work in Progress
May 17 2007 // Flying debris smashed through a window and Hurricane Andrew’s screaming winds pushed inside the home, splintering walls and tearing off the roof. Parents and children huddled under a mattress in a bathtub or closet...
On Eve of Hurricane Season, U.S. Mandates Safety Labels on Generators
May 17 2007 // Nine words could save lives this hurricane season: “Using a generator indoors can kill you in minutes.” That might seem obvious, but it’s not — each year dozens of Americans die because they don’t...
Lemac Offers Catastrophe Coverage
May 17 2007 // Los Angeles-based Lemac & Associates has added new markets for catastrophe insurance on major damage earthquake, wind, flood and terrorism risk exposures. Select “A” rated markets for catastrophe insurance...
Hundreds of Florida Wildfire Evacuees Still Waiting to Go Home
May 16 2007 // Higher winds were expected to fan the flames of the large fire burning in southeast Georgia and Florida on Monday. The wildfire that raced through the Okefenokee Swamp in southeast Georgia and into Florida was started by...
Fire Outlook: 2007 Wildfire Season Looks Wicked
May 15 2007 // Fire scientists are predicting an above-average wildfire season from May through August 2007, according to the National Interagency Fire Center Predictive Services Group based in Boise, Idaho. In its “National...
4.6-Magnitude Earthquake Causes Damage in Montana
May 15 2007 // An earthquake damaged an apartment building and knocked bricks off the facades of buildings in southwestern Montana , authorities said. The 4.6 magnitude quake, reported at 9:46 a.m. Tuesday, was centered about nine miles...
Expert: Coastal Overdevelopment Will Worsen Fla.’s Insurance Woes
May 15 2007 // Construction of new high-rise developments on vulnerable barrier islands will continue to exacerbate Florida’s property insurance crisis, according to Robert Hartwig, Ph.D., president and chief economist of the...
Iowa EMC Insurance Reports Midwest Tornado Losses at $21 Million
May 15 2007 // EMC Insurance Cos. said it expects to see losses of up to $21 million from storms last weekend, including devastating tornadoes that killed at least 11 people in Kansas. Des Moines-based EMC insures several businesses and...
Insurers Call for Additional Reforms for Florida Consumers
May 15 2007 // A new Florida law enacted during a 2007 January special session provides immediate savings for homeowners by shifting potential payments for hurricane losses from the homeowners receiving the current policy benefits to...
