Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Northridge Earthquake Class Action Suit Filed Against 21st Century

Jan 4 2001 // A class action lawsuit was filed Tuesday against 21st Century Insurance Co. on behalf of policyholders who filed timely property damage claims stemming from the 1994 Northridge earthquake but whose claims were mishandled,...

Gray Predicts Relatively Quiet 2001 Hurricane Season

Dec 8 2000 // After six years that set a record for Atlantic Basin tropical storms and hurricane activity, William Gray and his associates at Colorado State University are calling for a season slightly below the long-term average. For...

Arrowhead Adds New Senior V.P. to Earthquake Division

Dec 5 2000 // San Diego-based Arrowhead General Insurance Agency Inc. announced that Steve Bouker joined the company as senior vice president of the newly formed Residential Earthquake Division. Bouker, who was previously with Pacific...

AGF To Issue Wind/Earthquake Cat Bonds

Nov 23 2000 // AGF/IART, a unit of AGF the French arm of Germany’s Allianz, will issue natural catastrophe securities covering windstorm damages in France and earthquake risks in Europe through Mediterranean Re, a special purpose...

RMS, Japanese Partner Complete Cat Exposure Model

Nov 17 2000 // Menlo Park based, Risk Management Solutions (RMS) and its Japanese partner OYO Corporation announced that their joint venture, OYO RMS, has completed “a detailed natural hazard risk analysis for the National Mutual...

Future of Calif. Earthquake Authority Remains Hot Topic of Debate

Oct 31 2000 // Treasurer Phil Angelides has indicated recently that he has some concerns about the stability of the California Earthquake Authority. He made his fears public Oct. 26, sending out a letter to lawmakers calling for a...

Third-Quarter Catastrophe Losses Hit Record Low

Oct 30 2000 // U.S. property/casualty insurers recently received good news from the Insurance Services Office Inc.’s (ISO) Property Claim Services (PCS) unit. Third-quarter insured catastrophe losses registered at $315...

Third-Quarter Catastrophes Cost $315 Million; Lowest Amount in 11 Years

Oct 18 2000 // U.S. property/casualty insurers will pay homeowners and businesses $315 million for insured catastrophe losses – the lowest third-quarter amount in 11 years beginning 1990, estimates Insurance Services Office,...

S&P Confirms Earthquake Didn’t Trigger Japanese Cat Bonds

Oct 10 2000 // While the earthquake which struck Western Japan last week was very strong, measuring 7.3 on the Japanese Meteorological Agency scale, it was extremely deep, and the epicenter was far from a major population center –...

7.1 Earthquake Jolts Japan

Oct 6 2000 // An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter Scale jolted southwestern Japan in the early afternoon Friday, but early reports indicate it caused only moderate damage. According to the BBC, the quake, which lasted about 40...

Calif. Sits on Epicenter of National Quake Survey

Oct 2 2000 // According to the first national survey of earthquake risks, 75 percent of all losses are expected to occur in California. But quakes are not a problem for just the Golden State, as the study shows that other areas of the...

Industry Tallies Ohio Tornado Losses

Sep 28 2000 // The combined damage caused by a tornado that ripped through Xenia, Ohio Sept. 20 and storms in several other counties, has been estimated at more than $33 million in insured losses, according to the the Ohio Insurance...

Hundreds of Homeowners Awarded Earthquake Retrofit Grants

Sep 13 2000 // Acting Insurance Commissioner J. Clark Kelso announced the award of 429 new earthquake retrofit grants to low- to moderate-income California homeowners in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, San Bernadino, San Mateo and...

Typhoon Rains Paralyze Japan

Sep 12 2000 // Extremely heavy rains caused by Typhoon Saomai hit central Japan, causing widespread destruction and four deaths. A record 9.3 cms. (more than 3 1/ inches) fell in an hour, paralyzing transport and forcing thousands to...

CDI Adds Earthquake Link to Website

Sep 11 2000 // The California Department of Insurance (CDI) recently added a new link to its website, www.insurance.ca.gov, to help people affected by the Youngville/Napa earthquake. The advisory provides links to the California Office...

New Catastrophe Model Estimates Annual Losses in Excess of $5 Billion

Sep 8 2000 // Applied Insurance Research announced the release of a new severe thunderstorm model for the United States. The model incorporates sophisticated statistical techniques and the most current information about thunderstorm...

Storm Chasers: ICAT Covers Catastrophes from Coast to Coast

Sep 4 2000 // Like the tornado chasers in the movie “Twister,” International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC (ICAT) keeps pushing into new territory where others hang back. ICAT, which currently underwrites catastrophe...

WILDFIRES WON’T QUIT

Sep 4 2000 // Nearly 65,000 wildfires have burned more than 4.3 million acres this year, causing an estimated $100 million in insured property damage, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). Currently, 82 wildfires...

Swiss Re Offers Expert Advice on Hurricanes, Twisters, Space Weather

Aug 18 2000 // Swiss Re announced that it “has experts available to speak on the risks and costs associated with natural catastrophes and other important topics impacting individuals, businesses and the environment around the...

An Estimated $100 Million in Insured Losses Ignited by Wildfires

Aug 15 2000 // Nearly 65,000 wildfires have burned more than 4.3 million acres this year, causing an estimated $100 million in insured property damage, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). Currently, 82 wildfires...