Latest Flood Headlines

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

Jury Favors La. Homeowner in Katrina Damage Suit Against State Farm

Nov 9 2007 // A jury on Nov. 7 sided with a south Louisiana couple in the first federal trial in Louisiana against State Farm Insurance Cos. over Hurricane Katrina damage. An attorney for plaintiffs Michael and Judy Kodrin and a State...

Mexico Landslide Devastates Village as Floods Spread

Nov 7 2007 // Survivors saw relatives swept away by huge waves or buried by debris after a huge landslide hit a rain-swollen river, triggering waves that essentially wiped a Chiapas hamlet off the map and left at least 16 people...

NOAA, USGS Warning System To Alert Californians of Flash Floods

Nov 7 2007 // A debris flow and flash flood warning system developed jointly by NOAA’s National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey will help protect Southern Californians from potentially devastating debris flows —...

Whistleblower lawsuit against insurers dismissed

Nov 4 2007 // A federal judge has thrown out a so-called “whistleblowers'” lawsuit that accuses insurance companies of overbilling the federal government for Hurricane Katrina’s flood damage to Louisiana homes. Allan...

Massive Floods Hit Southern Mexico

Nov 2 2007 // A week of heavy rains unleashed massive flooding in southeastern Mexico, killing at least one person and forcing tens of thousands to flee rising waters in Tabasco and Chiapas states, officials said Wednesday. An...

Tropical Storm Noel Lashes Caribbean

Oct 30 2007 // Noel, a late season tropical storm, has caused extensive damage in the Dominican Republic and threatens greater havoc in Haiti. The two countries, who share the island of Hispaniola, have been hit with high winds and...

Fires Over, But Calif. Should Assess Flood Risks

Oct 30 2007 // Trusted Choice agents, along with the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) and IBA West, have teamed up to aid California residents in need in the aftermath of the devastating...

House Leader: 120-Day Extension for Federal Terrorism Insurance Possible

Oct 29 2007 // A key House leader says he will push for a 120-day extension of the federal terrorism reinsurance program that expires at year’s end rather than simply accept the Senate bill that is narrower in scope than the House...

S.C. chief urges hurricane damage formula – before storms hit

Oct 27 2007 // News Currents South Carolina Insurance Director Scott Richardson is proposing a loss-allocation method that he hopes will alleviate any confusion between water damage and wind damage the next time a hurricane reduces...

News Currents

Oct 27 2007 // Calif. passes flood legislation, rejects bill on child booster seats California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation designed to strengthen flood protections in California and approved a bill that would ban...

Heavy Rains in New Orleans Flood Recently Recovered Areas

Oct 24 2007 // Heavy rains that lashed New Orleans on Oct. 22 inundated areas that had only recently recovered from Hurricane Katrina and caused the Army Corps of Engineers to close a gate on a suburban canal where the waters threatened...

Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association Offers Fire Safety Tips

Oct 24 2007 // The wildfires burning out of control in Southern California should sound an alarm for homeowners to prepare for disasters before they strike. Homeowners need to have an evacuation plan in place and make sure they have...

AIR Worldwide Releases New Typhoon Model for China

Oct 23 2007 // AIR Worldwide Corp. (AIR) released the AIR typhoon model for China. The new probabilistic model will help insurers, reinsurers, and brokers better manage the very high typhoon risk intrinsic to one of the world’s...

La. Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Insurers Tossed Out

Oct 19 2007 // A federal judge on Wednesday threw out a so-called “whistleblowers”‘ lawsuit that accuses insurance companies of overbilling the federal government for Hurricane Katrina’s flood damage to Louisiana...

Senate Flood Insurance Bill Keeps Current Limits, Omits Wind Coverage

Oct 17 2007 // The U.S. Senate Banking Committee has approved legislation to reform the National Flood Insurance Program. The Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007 will now move to the floor of the full Senate. The U.S....

Guy Carp Releases Impact Study on Australian Storm

Oct 12 2007 // Guy Carpenter & Company announced that its Instrat(R) unit has published a report on the impact of the powerful East Coast Low (ECL) pressure system that hit New South Wales in Australia between June 7-10, 2007. The...

Funds to Upgrade Pumping Station in La.’s St. James Parish Approved

Oct 12 2007 // The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA), the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced approval of Hazard Mitigation Grant...

Feds Propose Buying Thousands of Homes on Miss. Coast

Oct 12 2007 // The federal government is considering buying out as many as 17,000 homes along the Mississippi coast and remaking the land into a vast hurricane-protection zone, raising anxieties that it could destroy the waterfront lives...

FEMA: Too Little Flood Insurance Means $2.6M Less for New Orleans

Oct 11 2007 // The New Orleans Police Department, headquartered in trailers since Hurricane Katrina destroyed its buildings in August 2005, missed out on $2.6 million in federal rebuilding aid because it lacked adequate flood insurance,...

Calif. Governor Signs Flood Legislation, Rejects Bill on Child Booster Seats

Oct 11 2007 // California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation designed to strengthen flood protections in California and approved a bill that would ban smoking in vehicles carrying children. Meanwhile, he rejected a measure...