Latest Hurricane Headlines
All the headlines from our Hurricane Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Fitch Advises Florida Insurance Market Remains ‘Fragile’
May 20 2009 // Fitch Ratings agency is advising that the Florida property insurance market is “fragile” and remains a “peak risk zone.” The Florida assessment is included in a Fitch report for investors right...
Better Predictions of Storm Intensity Could Take Decade
May 19 2009 // People living in hurricane danger zones could have a long wait — as much as 10 years — for improved forecasts of rapid intensity changes in a hurricane, the top U.S. hurricane forecaster said recently. In the...
Virginia Begins Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday May 25
May 18 2009 // The state is giving Virginia residents an incentive to prepare for hurricane season. Virginia’s Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday begins May 25 and runs through May 31. During the weeklong holiday, state and...
CSU’s Gray May Reduce Atlantic Storm Outlook
May 14 2009 // Colorado State University hurricane forecaster Bill Gray said Wednesday he may reduce his next Atlantic season forecast because sea temperatures are cooling and a weak El Nino may appear by late summer. “Things are...
For Some in Florida, Hurricane Season Is Time to Party
May 14 2009 // When a hurricane approaches South Florida, Robin Sing-Cunningham makes sure she has plenty of ice, candles and a generator. Then there’s the gas-powered blender, storm-themed music (think ‘It’s Raining...
U.S. Hurricane Center Applying Storm Surge, Other Lessons Learned
May 14 2009 // Tropical storms are unpredictable, but as the National Hurricane Center’s director contemplates ways to improve forecasting errors and communicating with the public, he is confident he has an ally at the Federal...
Florida Agents, Consumer Advocate Agree: Insurance Rates Must Go Up
May 14 2009 // With the start of the hurricane season just a few weeks away, a leading Florida consumer advocate joined independent agents at a press conference today to warn that property insurance rates need to be raised if insurers...
Forecasting Hurricane Intensity Still a Puzzle
May 13 2009 // People living in hurricane danger zones could have a long wait — as much as 10 years — for improved forecasts of rapid intensity changes in a hurricane, the top U.S. hurricane forecaster said Tuesday. In the...
AIU Offers Hurricane Resources in 2 South Carolina Counties
May 12 2009 // Homeowners in the South Carolina counties of Charleston and Beaufort who purchase homeowners policies from AIU Holdings’ Private Client Group can now access the advanced disaster preparedness and post-hurricane...
RMS Performs Risk Analysis for Ibis Re Hurricane Cat Bond
May 7 2009 // Risk Management Solutions has completed the expert modeling analysis in connection with the securities offering undertaken by Ibis Re Ltd., a special purpose reinsurance company domiciled in the Cayman Islands. “The...
Named Storm Deductible Bill Passes Louisiana House
May 7 2009 // Two bills of interest to the insurance industry are making their way through the Louisiana legislative session, which convened April 27. House Bill 333, by Rep. Kleckley, which places limitations on named-storm, hurricane,...
Report Warns of Gaps in Louisiana Emergency Plans, Officials Skeptical
May 7 2009 // Hurricane season is just weeks away, but many south Louisiana parishes cannot show their disaster plans cover evacuation of at-risk populations such as the disabled, the homeless and the elderly, according to the Disaster...
Improved Credit Markets Could Aid Shaky Florida Hurricane Fund
May 4 2009 // The Florida Cabinet received a bit of encouraging news recently about the state’s tenuous hurricane catastrophe fund when the head of Florida’s investments told them a loosening credit market provides the...
Forecaster WSI Reduces 2009 Season Hurricane Count to Six
May 4 2009 // The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season will produce 11 tropical storms, of which six will become hurricanes, WSI Corp predicts. The Andover, Massachusetts, private forecaster reduced its forecast from the one it issued in...
La. House Panel OKs Homeowners Insurance Deductible Restriction
Apr 30 2009 // Insurance companies should be restricted in their use of so-called “named storm” deductibles in Louisiana, even though the change will probably trigger a rate increase for homeowners, a House committee voted on...
Gulf States Prepare Together for Hurricane Season
Apr 29 2009 // Officials from three states of the Gulf Coast are meeting this week to discuss preparations for hurricane season. The 2009 Gulf States Hurricane Conference is being held Wednesday through Friday at the Coast Coliseum and...
Myrtle Beach Property Owners Add Wildfire to Hurricane Risk
Apr 28 2009 // They flock from other states and climes to the coast known as the Grand Strand, first as tourists, and later as residents, captivated by ocean views, rolling green fairways and the relaxed lifestyle. Most knew that an...
Florida Rep. Proctor Challenges Commissioner McCarty’s Insurance View
Apr 28 2009 // In my opinion, Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty’s assertions that our state has “one of the most” competitive property insurance markets in the country and that easing rate regulation will not...
Report: Levees Won’t Save New Orleans in Extreme Events
Apr 27 2009 // Levees and floodwalls surrounding New Orleans – no matter how large or sturdy – cannot provide absolute protection against overtopping or failure in extreme events, according to a new report by the National...
Mississippi to Study Hurricane Mitigation Efforts’ Costs, Benefits
Apr 24 2009 // Mississippi has hired a wind engineering firm to assess the various steps that property owners might take to reduce damage from hurricanes. Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney and wind engineering firm AIR...
