Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
PG&E in California Will Pay to Bury Power Lines to Prevent Wildfires
Aug 2 2021 // California power company Pacific Gas and Electric said on it would bury 10,000 miles of power lines in high-risk fire zones as a safety measure after its equipment caused multiple destructive wildfires over several...
Alaska Quake Triggers Prolonged Shaking, Small Tsunami
Jul 30 2021 // A powerful earthquake which struck just off Alaska’s southern coast caused prolonged shaking and prompted tsunami warnings that sent people scrambling for shelters. Residents reported only minor damage, but officials...
FEMA OKs Funds to Help Fight Montana Wildfire
Jul 29 2021 // Federal funds are now available to help with firefighting costs for the Poverty Flats Fire burning in Big Horn County and Crow Agency in Montana, FEMA reported. FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Tammy Littrell approved...
California, Nevada Governors Tour Site of Massive Wildfire
Jul 28 2021 // The governors of California and Nevada called for more federal firefighting assistance Wednesday as they toured a region blackened by one of several massive wildfires that have destroyed dozens of homes in the West. Nevada...
University Study Poses Possible Future for Western Wildfires as a Decade-Long Burst, Followed by Gradual Decline
Jul 28 2021 // Newswise — In recent years, wildfires on the West Coast have become larger and more damaging. A combination of almost a century of fire suppression and hotter and drier conditions has created a tinderbox ready to ignite,...
Tornadoes Confirmed Near Flint, Detroit, Michigan
Jul 27 2021 // The National Weather Service says tornadoes struck near Detroit and near Flint on the evening of July 24. The two EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Genesee County’s Clayton Township around 6:30 p.m. and in Oakland...
Court Affirms Miami Condo Tower Hurricane Damage Award That Disappointed Both Sides
Jul 27 2021 // The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a jury verdict that found an insurer liable for $2.6 million in damages to a Miami condominium tower caused by Hurricane Irma, rejecting arguments made in appeals filed by parties...
Winds Feeding California’s Largest Wildfire
Jul 27 2021 // It could be days before officials will be able to assess the damage done to a small town by California’s largest wildfire, one of dozens of blazes scorching lands across the U.S. West. Over the weekend, the massive...
Viewpoint: Is California Serious About Addressing the Wildfire Risk? Not So Much.
Jul 27 2021 // Recent state budget actions by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature make a strong argument that the state is not serious about addressing the state’s immense wildfire risk. Unquestionably,...
Firefighters Injured While Fighting Montana Wildfire
Jul 26 2021 // Five firefighters were injured when a thunderstorm and swirling winds in central Montana blew a lightning-caused wildfire back on them, federal officials said. All five remained in medical facilities and were still being...
California’s Largest Wildfire Torches Homes as Blazes Lash West
Jul 26 2021 // Flames racing through rugged terrain in Northern California destroyed multiple homes over the weeked as the state’s largest wildfire intensified and numerous other blazes battered the U.S. West. The Dixie fire, which...
Update: China’s Financial Hub of Shanghai at Virtual Standstill as Typhoon Makes Landfall
Jul 26 2021 // Typhoon In-Fa, the powerful storm battering regions around Shanghai, has forced some of the world’s biggest shipping ports to halt operations until at least Tuesday. All of Shanghai’s ports and some in...
5% Rate Increase Recommended for Texas Windstorm Insurer
Jul 22 2021 // The Actuarial & Underwriting Committee for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) has recommended that the association’s board vote at its Aug. 3 meeting to file for a 5% rate increase for residential...
PG&E in California’s Will Pay to Bury Power Lines to Prevent Wildfires
Jul 22 2021 // California power company Pacific Gas and Electric said on Wednesday it would bury 10,000 miles of power lines in high-risk fire zones as a safety measure after its equipment caused multiple destructive wildfires over...
PG&E Says Equipment Possibly Linked to Big California Wildfire
Jul 21 2021 // Pacific Gas & Electric reported to California utility regulators that its equipment may have been involved in the start of a fire burning in the Sierra Nevada that is threatening hundreds of homes. PG&E said in a...
In the Face of a Severe California Wildfire Season, is The Oft-Used ‘Mitigation’ Word Too Little Too Late?
Jul 20 2021 // It may have been around 2017 when a true sense of urgency donned on insurers, public officials, residents and regulators in wildfire-prone California, as fires destroyed or damaged more than 10,000 structures in the state,...
M5.1 Earthquake Confirmed off Northern California Coast
Jul 20 2021 // A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck off the Northern California coast late Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The earthquake just before midnight was about 12 kilometers west of Petrolia in Humboldt County and...
Solar Industry, Owners Warned to Take Steps to Mitigate Wildfire Risk
Jul 20 2021 // Noting that wildfire is a growing source of loss for both wind and solar power producers and insurers, one of the insurers is urging the U.S. solar industry to act to mitigate wildfire risk over the coming months or face...
Travelers’ Q2 Profit Boosted by Higher Premiums, Lower Catastrophe Losses
Jul 20 2021 // U.S. property and casualty insurer Travelers Cos .Inc. delivered an unusually large beat of second-quarter profit expectations on Tuesday, helped by higher premiums, lower catastrophe losses and a surge in returns from...
26 Tornadoes Swept Iowa on July 14, Preliminary Data Shows
Jul 19 2021 // Preliminary data shows more than two dozen tornadoes tore across Iowa on July 14, according to the National Weather Service. The service said in a tweet that it appears 26 tornadoes touched down. If that number holds true,...
