Latest Flood Headlines
All the headlines from our Flood Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Storm Ophelia Set to Slam Coast of Ireland; Extreme Winds, Flooding Expected
Oct 15 2017 // Irish authorities warned some of the worst weather conditions to hit the country in 50 years will endanger lives, as Storm Ophelia’s remnants batter the coast with “extreme” conditions. Met Eireann, the...
Fitch Ratings: Texas Flood Plan Would Lower Risk to Houston Region Utilities
Oct 13 2017 // The development of a state-wide flood plan by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) would reduce operational risk to both water and sewer utilities, according to Fitch Ratings. If developed, the plan would be the first...
Hurricane-Battered Flood Insurance Program In Need of Funding
Oct 13 2017 // The U.S. National Flood Insurance Program, struggling with the costs of this year’s record hurricane season, will run out of money as early as Oct. 23 unless Congress takes action. The Federal Emergency Management...
House Approves $36.5B Disaster Aid with Puerto Rico, Wildfires, Flood Insurance Funds
Oct 12 2017 // The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved $36.5 billion in emergency relief for hurricane-hit Puerto Rico and other areas that have suffered recent disasters. In addition to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico,...
Developers Built Homes Inside Houston’s Reservoirs. But No One Warned Buyers.
Oct 12 2017 // Note: This story was originally published by the Texas Tribune and ProPublica. When Jeremy Boutor moved to a master-planned community in Houston’s booming energy corridor, he saw it as idyllic. Lakes on Eldridge...
Houston-Area Home Buyouts Part of Flood Mitigation Efforts
Oct 12 2017 // Officials decided Oct. 10 to proceed with two additional programs that would buy out more than 100 Houston-area homes that have repeatedly flooded in recent years, as the region continues its efforts to recover from...
$36.5 Billion House Disaster Aid Bill Includes Funds for Puerto Rico, Wildfires, Flood Insurance
Oct 12 2017 // House lawmakers unveiled a bill Tuesday night that would provide $36.5 billion in emergency funding for hurricane and wildfire relief requested by the Trump administration. With Congress under pressure to provide urgent...
More Work Still Needed to Rebuild West Virginia Town
Oct 10 2017 // It has been two months since heavy rain swelled the waters of Fish Creek and drenched the town of Hundred, West Virginia, and its residents under several feet of water. The night it happened is stuck in the minds of first...
New Flood Maps Coming to Georgia Coast, but Flood Risk Remains
Oct 10 2017 // Experts say a new federal flood map of Glynn County along Georgia’s coast may lower insurance premiums next year – but not the risk of flooding. The updated Flood Insurance Rate Map, drawn by the Federal...
Iowa Officials Seek Federal Approval of Levee Repair Plan
Oct 9 2017 // Officials in western Iowa are worried that $50 million in levee repairs won’t be completed quickly enough to avoid having an area deemed a flood zone, which would require costly insurance coverage. The Federal...
City in Oregon Suing Over Restrictive Flood Map Recommendations
Oct 9 2017 // The city of Coos Bay, Ore. has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the National Marine Fisheries Service over its recommendation for more restrictive floodplain regulations, which would restrict development in most of...
White House $29B Disaster Aid Includes Flood Insurance Changes
Oct 9 2017 // The Trump administration last week asked Congress for $29 billion in disaster aid to cover ongoing hurricane relief and recovery efforts and to pay federal flood insurance claims. The request comes as the government is...
King Tides, Heavy Rain Cause Flooding in Areas Hit by Irma
Oct 6 2017 // Heavy rainfall over much of South Florida has led to flooding in areas hit hard by Hurricane Irma. Flooding due to heavy rain and the annual “King tides” is being reported along low-lying streets from Key West...
Left Out of Disaster Tax Relief Program, Louisiana Offers Bigger Flood Aid Loans for Small Businesses
Oct 6 2017 // Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration is boosting the size of loans available to small businesses damaged by last year’s flooding in Louisiana and is extending the deadline for applications. The Restore...
Head of Texas’ Harvey Recovery Effort Says Agents Need to ‘Step Up’ on Damage Claims
Oct 6 2017 // The insurance industry in Texas is not happy with the state’s so-called Hurricane Harvey recovery czar. Texas A&M University Chancellor John Sharp, who was named by Gov. Greg Abbott to lead the Commission to...
Future Reports to Include Both Private, Public Flood Insurance Loss Estimates
Oct 6 2017 // Beginning with Hurricane Harvey, the private sector Property Claim Services will publish aggregate flood loss information supplied by the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Historically,...
Trump Wants to Halt Government Flood Insurance for New Homes in Flood Zones
Oct 5 2017 // President Donald Trump proposed ending federal flood insurance for new homes in areas most at risk of flooding, a change that could curtail new construction in vast parts of Florida, Louisiana and along the Eastern...
RMS Launches Risk Selection Solution for Underwriters
Oct 5 2017 // RMS, the Newark, Calif.-based risk modeling and analytics firm, has introduced a solution that enables underwriters to access critical information about any location globally, providing “a competitive advantage in...
Hurricane Cars Declared ‘Total Losses’ by Adjusters Are Now Back on Roads
Oct 5 2017 // The ink on the “total loss” insurance paperwork, like the 2007 Range Rover itself, was still wet when Morgan Moran began trying to buy his vehicle back after Hurricane Matthew last year. The insurance adjuster...
Get Very Used to Drone Usage in the Insurance Industry
Oct 4 2017 // One major insurance carrier already has a program underway to train claims adjusters to visit accident sites and fly drones to gather data. American Family Insurance started working on developing a drone program around...
