Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Q4 Rescues Hannover Re 2004 Profits from Hurricanes
Mar 30 2005 // Germany’s Hannover Re Group reported 309.1 million euros ($400 million) net after tax income for 2004, down 12.9 percent from 2003’s 354.8 million euros ($459.8 million). The company’s earnings report,...
Fla. Senate Committee Postpones Insurance Bill Until Next Week; Industry Hopes for ‘More Balanced’ Approach
Mar 30 2005 // Insurance industry representatives hope the announcement of the postponement until next week of an insurance bill now before the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee signals that a “more balanced” bill will...
Fitch Says P/C Views Record U.S. Catastrophe Losses in 2004, However Profitability Moves Up
Mar 30 2005 // The U.S. property and casualty industry posted stronger underwriting results and profitability in 2004 relative to 2003, despite sharp increases in catastrophe losses for many market participants related to the...
8.7 Quake Strikes Indonesian Islands; 2000 Feared Dead; Tsunami Alerts Given, Cancelled
Mar 29 2005 // A severe earthquake, measuring 8.7 on the Richter Scale, struck several Islands off the Northwest Coast of the Indonesian Island of Sumatra at around 11:15 p.m. local time (11:15 a.m. EST) causing heavy damage and loss of...
Carvill Report Indicates “Bermuda High” is Crucial Hurricane Factor
Mar 29 2005 // The ReAdvisory group of Carvill, a leading specialty reinsurance intermediary, has released a white paper, which concludes that the location of the “Bermuda High” pressure system is crucial in determining...
Mich. Catastrophic Claims Assessment Up 11%
Mar 25 2005 // The Michigan Claims Catastrophic Association increased its annual assessment to insurers by 11 percent to $141.70 per insured vehicle from $127.24, drawing sharp criticism from the state’s insurance regulator. In a...
Fla. Legislators Hammering Out Property Insurance Regulations, Changes
Mar 25 2005 // Major changes in Florida’s property insurance system are being mulled over by Florida lawmakers after the House and Senate have both been wrestling with the topic and have now hammered out changes to tighten up the...
Research and Markets Offers Catastrophe Risk and Reinsurance Analysis
Mar 23 2005 // Dublin-based Research and Markets has announced the addition of Catastrophe Risk and Reinsurance: A Country Risk Management Perspective to their offering. See: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c14308. The report...
PCI: Fla. Hurricane Cat Fund Changes are Key to Property Market Stability
Mar 22 2005 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) is urging the Florida Legislature to establish an annual hurricane deductible for insurers and lower the threshold of losses that an insurer must sustain before...
Killer Tsunamis and the Marine Insurance Market
Mar 21 2005 // Early in the morning hours on Dec. 26, 2004, opposing subterranean tectonic plates deep beneath the Indian Ocean floor shifted in violent unison along a line about 300 miles long. The energy released was on par with a...
Insurance-Related Subjects Top Florida Legislature’s To-Do List
Mar 21 2005 // The Florida Legislature began its spring session March 8 with insurance-related topics expected to take the limelight with several dozen proposals before the governing body, ranging from giving consumers more tools to...
Commissioner Bell to Chair Ala. ‘Insurance Hurricane Issues Task Force’
Mar 21 2005 // Alabama Insurance Commissioner Walter A. Bell has been named to chair a 20-member “Insurance Hurricane Issues Task Force” formed by Gov. Bob Riley to study hurricane insurance issues in coastal Alabama. Members...
Fla. Cabinet’s Emergency Rule ‘Holds Insurers Feet to the Fire’ to Expedite Open Hurricane Claims
Mar 18 2005 // In response to a call by the Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet has approved an emergency rule to expedite the resolution of open claims from last year’s tropical...
Business Leaders Warn of ‘Rolling Crisis’ As Federal Terror Insurance Program Nears Expiration
Mar 18 2005 // U.S. business leaders came out in force this week to urge renewal of the federal Terrorism Risk Insurance Act and warn that market restrictions on terror insurance coverage are already beginning to be felt in the...
Munich Re Posts $2.44 Billion 2004 Group Net Profit
Mar 16 2005 // Germany’s Munich Re Group celebrated its 125th anniversary year in style, recovering from a 434 million euro ($578 million) loss in 2003 to post 2004 net profits of 1.833 billion euros ($2.44 billion) despite a...
AIA: House Hearing on Port Safety Offers Rationale for Extension of Federal Terrorism Insurance Backstop
Mar 15 2005 // The American Insurance Association (AIA) expressed hope that a Capitol Hill hearing Tuesday focused on U.S. port security will provide federal policymakers with insights about the urgent need to extend the nation’s...
Quanta Posts $14.4 Million Q4 Loss; $54.6 Million Full Year Net Loss
Mar 15 2005 // Bermuda’s Quanta Capital Holdings Ltd. reported that its net loss for the fourth quarter of 2004 was $14.4 million, or $0.25 per diluted share. This compares to a net loss of $37.4 million, or $0.66 per diluted...
Computer Models Reassess Fla. Hurricane Risk Following Busy 2004 Season
Mar 14 2005 // New computer models show higher chances of hurricane strikes to Florida, and a 3.9 percent increase in predicted losses. In parts of the state, particularly Escambia County, the program boosts predicted losses as much as...
Hurricanes Lower Hiscox 2004 Profits to $148 Million
Mar 14 2005 // U.K. insurer Hiscox plc reported a drop in profits for 2004 of around 8 percent, posting a net figure of £77 million ($148.1 million), compared to £83.4 million ($160.5 million) in 2003, as losses from the Florida...
“Supervolcanoes:” A Potential Global Catastrophe
Mar 11 2005 // As if the world’s increasingly violent weather weren’t enough (See previous article), the BBC is set to air a two part documentary on the potential threat of mass destruction posed by...
