Latest Hurricane Headlines
All the headlines from our Hurricane Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Despite Hurricanes, Fewer Insurers Failed in 2005, Reports Weiss Ratings
Jan 17 2006 // Despite mounting losses from another devastating hurricane season, property and casualty insurance company failures declined 44 percent, dropping from 16 to nine, while solid economic growth resulted in no bank closures in...
Everest Re Ups 2005 Hurricane Losses to $1.2 Billion
Jan 13 2006 // The Bermuda-based Everest Re Group, Ltd. announced that it has increased its loss estimates for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Total pre-tax losses from these events, which had previously been estimated at $1.0...
Miss. Hurricane Victims Warned: Beware of Contractor Scams
Jan 12 2006 // Hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi have been warned to beware of scam artists and disreputable contractors and to check contractors out closely before hiring them to do repairs, according to Robert Latham, director...
AIA: Paper on Insurance Claims Handling is Reckless
Jan 12 2006 // A paper issued Thursday by Americans for Insurance Reform (AIR) is “untrue, irresponsible and reckless,” according to the American Insurance Association (AIA). “Tens of thousands of insurance company...
Allstate Limits Homeowners’ Business in N.Y. Coastal Areas
Jan 12 2006 // Allstate, New York State’s biggest writer of homeowners insurance, is pulling back from writing new business in New York metropolitan coastal areas in order to limit its exposure to future storm losses. The insurer...
U.S. Rep. Taylor Joins Lawsuit Against Mississippi Insurer
Jan 11 2006 // U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., has joined the thousands of Mississippians suing State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., challenging the insurance company’s refusal to cover property losses resulting from Hurricane...
Allstate Announces Rate Hikes Likely in Disaster Prone States
Jan 11 2006 // Allstate Corp. announced this week that customers living in areas hard-hit by hurricanes and other natural disasters, including North Carolina, are likely to see their premiums rise this year as a result of the...
Countrywide Insurance Group’s DeLaney Named Corporate Trailblazer
Jan 11 2006 // California-based Countrywide Insurance Group reported that chief operations officer Doreen DeLaney was named a Corporate Trailblazer by Minorities in Business Magazine. She was honored at the publication’s 10th...
Mass. Fair Plan Rate Case Drags On with Parties Far Apart
Jan 9 2006 // Hearings to decide on rates for the homeowners insurance residual market in Massachusetts have been going on since November and are likely to continue for several more months, according to officials. The three major...
Wills Re Reviews 2005; Analyzes January Renewals
Jan 9 2006 // Willis Re, the reinsurance unit of the Willis Group, has issued a comprehensive report that reviews the current state of the reinsurance market in light of the past 18 months. While emphasizing that the Gulf hurricanes...
I.I.I. Says Record Mississippi Homeowners’ Claim Payments from 2005 Hurricanes
Jan 9 2006 // The record total of homeowners insurance claims payments resulting from the 2005 hurricanes in Mississippi is reportedly enough to wipe out all homeowners premiums paid in the state during the past 17 years. The magnitude...
Miss. Receiving $6.6M to Boost ‘Safe Room’ Program
Jan 9 2006 // In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and amidst the ongoing recovery effort, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and federal officials reported the funding of a $6.6 million grant program to help protect against...
La. DOL: Fewer Hurricane-Related Unemployment Claims Being Paid
Jan 6 2006 // The number of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita victims continuing to receive unemployment benefits has dropped by over 100,000 since benefit claims peaked in early November, the Louisiana Department of Labor reported. Some...
$565M Hurricane Prep Plan Budgets for Fla. Housing, Rental Recovery
Jan 6 2006 // Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has unveiled plans to prepare Florida for hurricanes by initiating housing programs to rebuild from past storms and survive future ones. The governor proposed an $808 million legislative agenda which...
Fla.’s Generator, Chainsaw Reimbursement Program Could Be Axed
Jan 6 2006 // Florida officials are scrutinizing a state program which reimburses residents for last-minute purchases of generators, chain saws and other hurricane-related purchases and considering eliminating it, because according to...
FEMA Says Condo Owners Can Apply for Hurricane Wilma Assistance
Jan 5 2006 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency in Orlando, Fla. has reversed its position and is encouraging condominium associations needing financial assistance to repair roofs and other property destroyed or damaged by...
Miss. Legislative Sessions Begin, PCI Pushes for Stronger Building Codes
Jan 5 2006 // Enacting and enforcing a strong statewide building code could save billions of dollars in damages from hurricanes and should be among the top priorities of Mississippi lawmakers meeting in Jackson during the 2006...
I.I.I.: Claims in Louisiana Equal to 25 Years of State’s Homeowners Premiums
Jan 5 2006 // The record total of homeowners insurance claims payments resulting from the 2005 hurricanes in Louisiana is enough to wipe out all homeowners premiums paid in the state during the past 25 years, as well as every dollar of...
Ala., Miss., La. Black Lawmakers Mull Hurricane Recovery Policy
Jan 4 2006 // Black lawmakers from Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama say the three states should work together – rather than against each other – on issues such as hurricane recovery. “We can all empathize with each...
Wisconsin Insurance Rates Likely Not Impacted by Hurricane Katrina
Jan 3 2006 // This year, businesses and consumers will help insurers pay for last year’s estimated $57.6 billion in storm-related losses such as Hurricane Katrina through higher property and casualty insurance policy rates, the...
