Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Earthquake Confirmed in Submerged Volcano South of Hawaii
Dec 28 2021 // A magnitude-4.9 earthquake struck a submerged volcano south of Hawaii’s Big Island last week, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory confirmed. said the temblor hit at 1:32 a.m. about 26 miles southeast of Naalehu, at a...
Federal Relief Funding Available in Five Arkansas Counties Following Tornadoes
Dec 27 2021 // President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in Arkansas, making federal relief funding available in five north eastern counties hit by tornadoes that ripped through the Midwest and South this month. The declaration...
As Strongest Storm to Hit Philippines in 2021, Typhoon Rai ‘Exceeded All Predictions’
Dec 22 2021 // SINGAPORE – The rapid intensification that turned this week’s Typhoon Rai into the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year surpassed all predictions, forecasters said, leaving nearly 400 people dead and...
Active 2021 Hurricane Season Revealed ‘Unsettling’ Trends: AIR Worldwide
Dec 22 2021 // The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season was the third most active on record and the sixth consecutive year of above-average hurricane activity. Still, the overall season was mostly in line with the updated 30-year average,...
Tornadoes Have Pushed Insurers’ Weather Claims Above $105B for 2021
Dec 21 2021 // Devastation from tornadoes that slammed parts of the United States this month will push the insurance industry’s 2021 bill for weather-related claims well above the predicted $105 billion, industry experts said, and...
Southern California Edison Faces $550M in Penalties for 5 Wildfires
Dec 20 2021 // California regulators approved a settlement placing more than half a billion dollars in fines and penalties on the utility Southern California Edison for its role in five wildfires in 2017 and 2018. The penalties relate to...
Typhoon Rai Leaves Trail of Destruction in Southeast Asia, Killing More Than 200
Dec 20 2021 // Severe weather disruptions hit Malaysia and the Philippines, leaving a trail of destruction among nations most prone to natural disasters. Typhoon Rai, a super typhoon before slamming into the Philippines on Thursday, left...
Kansas Wildfires Kill Two
Dec 20 2021 // Two men have died from injuries suffered in wildfires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres across Kansas last week, authorities said Friday, Dec. 17. Richard Shimanek, 84, a farmer and rancher who lived near...
‘Keep Delivering’: Amazon Tornado Tragedy Raises Emergency Safety Training Questions
Dec 17 2021 // The messages between an Amazon.com Inc. delivery driver and her boss began about 80 minutes before a tornado struck one of the company’s warehouses in Edwardsville, Illinois, on Dec. 10, killing six workers. The...
Missouri Insurance Specialists to Offer Assistance Following Tornado
Dec 16 2021 // Customer insurance specialists from the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance will participate in resource centers to assist customers who were affected by the recent tornado. A Multi-Agency Resource Centers will...
More Tornadoes in Midwest, Great Plains Leave One Dead and 500,000 in the Dark
Dec 16 2021 // Dec 16, 2021 — A powerful storm that spawned tornadoes across the Midwest and Great Plains killed at least one person, ripped trees from the ground and knocked out power to more than 500,000 homes and businesses. Winds...
New Research Warns Rare Winter Tornadoes May Get More Intense
Dec 16 2021 // Nasty winter tornadoes — like the deadly ones last week that hit five states — are likely to be stronger and stay on the ground longer with a wider swath of destruction in a warming world, a new study shows. The...
Typhoon Rai Threatens Philippines, Forcing Thousands to Flee Homes
Dec 16 2021 // Typhoon Rai has rapidly intensified as it nears central and southern Philippine provinces on Thursday, forcing thousands to flee their homes and leaving thousands stranded as airlines canceled flights. The typhoon...
Tornadoes Destroyed Kentucky Insurance Agency, Damaged Others as Claims Pour In
Dec 16 2021 // A number of insurance agencies in southwestern Kentucky sustained damage at their own offices during the massive tornado rampage last weekend, including one insurance firm that lost its entire building in hard-hit...
Insurers Begin Work in Areas Hard-Hit By Weekend Tornadoes
Dec 15 2021 // Insurance claims and loss estimates are beginning to come in from the group of deadly and damaging tornadoes that moved through the central and southern U.S. last weekend. The Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed...
Oklahoma Wildfire Destroys 5 Homes, 14 Barns
Dec 15 2021 // A wildfire that forced evacuations in rural southwestern Oklahoma last week destroyed five homes, 14 barns and nine vehicles, officials said Monday. Three of the burned homes were unoccupied, said Comanche County Emergency...
Planning Questions Emerge at Tornado-Destroyed Kentucky Candle Plant
Dec 14 2021 // The Mayfield Consumer Products factory was the third-biggest employer in this corner of western Kentucky, an important economic engine that churned out candles that lined the shelves of malls around the U.S. But why its...
Father, Son Charged With Starting Massive California Wildfire Plead Not Guilty
Dec 14 2021 // A father and son charged with starting a massive California wildfire that destroyed many homes and forced tens of thousands of people to flee Lake Tahoe communities earlier this year pleaded not guilty in court. The El...
AM Best Sees Tornado Losses as Manageable for Insurers
Dec 14 2021 // Analysts at ratings firm AM Best said they expect the insured losses from the tornadoes that devastated central and southern U.S. last weekend will dampen underwriting results for insurers but that insurers will be able to...
Insured Loss From Tornado Outbreak Estimated at $3 Billion by KCC
Dec 14 2021 // The insured loss from the December 9-12 tornado outbreak that devastated parts of central U.S. has been estimated to be about $3 billion. Catastrophe modeling firm Karen Clark & Company said its estimate includes...
