Latest Catastrophe Headlines

All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Hurricane Victims to Submit Multiple Deductible Information

Feb 21 2005 // Homeowners eligible to receive compensation for multiple hurricane deducti-bles have been called on by Florida’s CFO Tom Gallagher to file their applications for relief so they are received in Tallahassee before...

GOV. EASLEY SUGGESTS ‘RAINY DAY FUND’ FOR HURRICANE RELIEF

Feb 21 2005 // With damage estimates after last year’s hurricanes approaching $300 million, Gov. Mike Easley has asked legislators to approve the expenditure of $61 million from the North Carolina Rainy Day Fund. Easley’s...

S&P Report Says Hurricane Losses Puts Pressure on Insurers’ Equity

Feb 18 2005 // The shareholders’ equity of many insurers and reinsurers is coming under greater pressure than anticipated as P/C losses from the 2004 hurricane season continue to rise with new estimates, according to a report by...

March 1 Deadline to Apply for Multiple-Deductible Relief

Feb 18 2005 // March 1 is the deadline for Florida homeowners who paid multiple hurricane deductibles to apply for relief from the state according to Tom Gallagher, Chief Financial Officer. The program was created to avoid the terrible...

PCI Urges Market-Oriented Solutions to Florida’s Hurricane Insurance Issues

Feb 18 2005 // The Florida Joint Select Committee on Hurricane Insurance, meeting in Tallahassee this week, approved a series of recommendations for the Legislature that broadly affect the state’s property insurance market and...

Senators Reintroduce Two-Year TRIA Extension Bill

Feb 18 2005 // U.S. Senators Robert Bennett (R-Utah) and Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) reintroduced legislation today to extend the federal terrorism backstop for two more years. The current Terrorism Risk Insurance Act is set to expire on...

Kyoto Protocol Comes into Force; Debate on Global Warming Continues

Feb 17 2005 // The “Kyoto Protocol” or Treaty, a global agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gasses, has come into force seven years after it was established. So far 141 countries, accounting for 55 percent of greenhouse...

Gallagher Plans Town Hall Meetings in Fla.’s Hurricane-Impacted Areas

Feb 17 2005 // Homeowners with unresolved hurricane damage claims will have a chance next month to discuss their concerns in town hall meetings hosted by Tom Gallagher, Florida’s CEO. The first meeting is tentatively scheduled in...

In Front of Congress, Greenspan Questions Ability of Private Market Alone to Insure Against Terrorism

Feb 17 2005 // Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan on Thursday told Members of Congress he has yet to be convinced the private market alone can adequately insure against the continuing threat of terrorism. In an appearance before the...

Citizens Predicts $400 Million Deficit; Fla. Joint Selective Committee to Hear Recommendations Tomorrow

Feb 16 2005 // An estimated $400 million shortfall in Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s high-risk account was confirmed yesterday by Citizens spokesman Justin Glover in meetings in Orlando with the company’s board of...

Rep. Cannon: Hurricanes Provided Valuable Lesson; Citizens Concerns PIA Members

Feb 15 2005 // The silver lining to last year’s hurricanes proved that without adequate compensation for agents, there will be trouble when claims need to be settled, freshman Rep. Dean Cannon (R-Winter Park) told Professional...

Customers Polled: Foremost Receives High Marks for Processing Hurricane Claims

Feb 11 2005 // Foremost Insurance Group of companies received high marks in a survey done on 3,000 customers who suffered losses from hurricanes in late 2004. The survey had a response rate of 39 percent. Those who responded rated...

Philadelphia Consolidated CEO Pleased with Q4 Report

Feb 11 2005 // Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corp. on Friday reported net income for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2004 increased 58.0% to $32.4 million ($1.38 diluted and $1.45 basic earnings per share) from $20.5 million ($0.89...

AIR’s Mediterranean Region Earthquake Model Now Available in CLASIC/2

Feb 9 2005 // AIR Worldwide Corp. (AIR) announced its Mediterranean Region Earthquake Model is now available in its detailed risk modeling software system, CLASIC/2. The update enables European primary insurers, brokers, and reinsurers...

ISO: Insurers Pay a Record $27.3B in 2004 Cat Losses

Feb 9 2005 // U.S. property/casualty insurers paid a record $27.3 billion for insured property losses to homeowners and businesses from 22 catastrophic events last year—surpassing losses from 2001 that included the Sept. 11...

XL Capital Notes $288M Q4 Profit

Feb 9 2005 // Bermuda-based XL Capital Ltd. reported net income available to ordinary shareholders for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2004 of $288.0 million, or $2.07 per ordinary share, compared with a net loss of $314.8 million, or a loss...

Zurich Estimates Tsunami, Hurricane Losses at $185M

Feb 7 2005 // Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich) expects claims related to the tsunami that struck South Asia on Dec. 26, 2004 to cost approximately $65 million after tax and net of reinsurance. The aggregate amount of expected...

ACE USA Unveils ACE Spectra

Feb 7 2005 // ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operations of The ACE Group of Companies has introduced ACE Spectra, an admitted insurance product that provides coverage for property damage and business interruption resulting from a...

Insurance Concerns on Fla. Agenda

Feb 7 2005 // The Florida Legislature is considering numerous actions during spring sessions, including taking a close look at preparedness for the upcoming hurricane season, now five months away; implementing single-deductibles;...

In the Wake of the Tsunami ….

Feb 7 2005 // The Southeast Asia earthquake and tsunami disaster occurred while many of us where at home enjoying the holidays with our families. At Insurance Journal, the catastrophic event took place in between the deadlines for our...