Latest Flood Headlines
All the headlines from our Flood Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Corps Says It’s not to Blame for Katrina Flooding
Dec 14 2011 // Justice Department lawyers argued at trial on Dec. 12 that there is little evidence a shipping channel dug decades ago by the Army Corps of Engineers contributed significantly to the castastrophic flooding after Hurricane...
FEMA, N.Y. Officials Settle Dispute Over Flood Insurance Regulation
Dec 12 2011 // Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a new bulletin telling insurers that they should cooperate with state regulators on questions regarding federal flood insurance. There has been an ongoing turf battle...
Post-Irene Rebuilding Could Take Several More Months, N.Y. Group Says
Dec 9 2011 // This year’s hurricane season was an unusually costly and damaging one for New York State residents. And as the winter sets in, it will take several more months for people in areas ranging from Adirondack Mountains to...
Despite Consensus, Politics Stymies Federal Flood Reform
Dec 8 2011 // In this era of sharp political differences, the need for a national flood insurance program is one area where just about everyone agrees. Even so, the program is a victim of Washington partisanship, actuaries were told at...
Missouri Levee Owners to Get Repair Help from Feds
Dec 8 2011 // A northwest Missouri levee that was dropped from a federal repair program shortly before record flooding caused $4 million in damage has been reinstated to the program, landowners who oversee the levee said. Paul Markt,...
Deadline Nears for Fed Aid for New York Flood Victims
Dec 8 2011 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency says there are only eight days left for New Yorkers affected by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee to register for possible federal disaster assistance. Dec. 15 is the...
Munich Re Estimates Thai Flood Claims around $670 Million
Dec 8 2011 // The widespread floods in Thailand, which reached their highest point in October and November, “are the costliest natural catastrophe in the country’s history,” according to a bulletin from Munich Re....
Senate Approves Flood Insurance Extension to May 2012
Dec 7 2011 // The U.S. Senate passed an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through May 31, 2012. The legislation, introduced by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., passed the Senate by unanimous consent and must now be taken...
Aon Benfield Monthly Cat Report: Thai, Europe Floods Costly for Insurers
Dec 7 2011 // Aon Benfield’s Monthly Cat Recap report, which reviews the natural disaster perils that occurred worldwide during November, concludes that insured losses in Thailand could top $10 billion, while floods in Europe will...
Swiss Re Estimates Thai Flood Claims at $600 million; Subject to Uncertainty
Dec 6 2011 // Swiss Re has estimated its claims costs from severe flooding in Thailand at $600 million, after intense rainfall caused hundreds of deaths and floods affecting approximately 1500 industrial facilities. “The estimate...
Utah Prepares for Spring Flooding
Dec 6 2011 // After coming out of this year’s spring flooding with damage limited mostly to Utah farmlands, state and county officials are beginning preparations for next year with a wary eye toward the state’s...
Sen. Schumer Says Flood Insurers Are Too Slow in Processing Claims
Dec 5 2011 // U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling on flood insurance companies to speed up their processing of insurance claims from tropical storms Irene and Lee to ensure that FEMA aid reaches flood-damaged communities...
Senate Asked to Renew Flood Program Until Sept. 2012
Dec 5 2011 // U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urging him to allow a one-year extension of the National Flood Insurance Program to pass the Senate by unanimous consent. The NFIP is...
2011 Hurricane Season Spared Usual Targets While Flooding Northeast
Dec 5 2011 // The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season was a study in contradictions: It spared the usual Southern targets, while Irene paralyzed the Eastern seaboard and devastated parts of the Northeast with deadly flooding. The season...
Flood Insurance Rate Falls for Some in Louisiana
Dec 5 2011 // Some residents and business owners in the city of Lafayette, La., and unincorporated parts of the parish will soon be paying 10 percent less for flood insurance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said the savings...
Flood Program Could Expire Dec. 16
Dec 5 2011 // Congress has approved yet another resolution to fund parts of the federal government including the nation’s flood insurance program on a short-term basis. This time the funding runs until Dec. 16. Had Congress not...
Insurers Bracing for Thai Flood Claims at More Than $10B
Dec 5 2011 // Insurers are bracing themselves for claims in excess of $10 billion after floods in Thailand disabled major foreign-owned manufacturing operations there, adding to an already record-breaking natural catastrophe bill this...
Study Recommends Houston Ship Channel Floodgate
Dec 5 2011 // A study on protecting Southeast Texas from disastrous storms like Hurricane Ike recommends building a floodgate across the Houston Ship Channel. Details were announced by Rice University, which led a team of researchers...
James River Still Above Flood Stage in Parts of South Dakota
Nov 30 2011 // South Dakota officials say some stretches of the James River remain well above flood stage heading into the winter freeze, setting the stage for more flooding next spring. The James, which has been out of its banks for...
Feds Say Farmers in Upstate New York Can Get Flood Loans
Nov 29 2011 // Federal authorities say farmers in eight upstate New York counties are primary natural disaster areas eligible for assistance recovering from tropical storm Lee. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also said 16 counties...
