Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Wildfire Burning in Central California Forest Area Is Latest Blaze of Concern
Aug 28 2025 // A fast-growing wildfire burning in central California’s Sierra National Forest in Fresno County in a remote area is the latest blaze of concern for firefighters. The Garnet Fire has burned more than 13,900 acres and...
Hurricane Remnants Threaten Swiss Alps With Floods, Landslides
Aug 28 2025 // The remnants of Hurricane Erin will contribute to torrential rain across the Swiss Alps over the next two days, raising the risk of dangerous flooding and landslides. Switzerland’s state forecaster has issued the...
Viewpoint: Earthquake Insurance and Surplus Lines: Clarifying A Legal Grey Zone
Aug 28 2025 // The California property insurance market is undergoing a dramatic shift. As admitted carriers restrict their appetite for business in the state—particularly in high-risk zones—surplus lines insurers are increasingly...
20 Years Later, Hurricane Katrina’s Impact Echoes in Models, Mitigation and Reforms
Aug 27 2025 // Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina swamped parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, the property insurance sector is better prepared for another catastrophic storm and the litigation that may follow, according to industry...
When Luck Runs Out: Where $100B Hurricanes Might Happen
Aug 27 2025 // Lists published every hurricane season, adjusting the amounts of insurance losses for past events for inflation to current-dollar levels, give a misleading picture of the potential for a single event costing insurers $100...
California’s new take on wildfire loss models, and what this means for property insurers
Aug 26 2025 // The California Department of Insurance (CDI) has made some serious moves to tackle the state’s insurance crisis head on, last year launching its Sustainable Insurance Strategy (SIS). With the SIS came a set of...
Containment Increases on California Wine Country Wildfire
Aug 26 2025 // Containment has increased on a rural California wine country wildfire that was burning out of control and threatening thousands of properties. The Pickett Fire exploded in the Napa Valley last week, prompting evacuations...
20 Years After Katrina, Hurricane Risks to Gulf Coast Rising, Scientist Warns
Aug 25 2025 // The Gulf Coast of the United States is increasingly vulnerable to hurricanes, a scientist has warned in a new study, 20 years after Katrina devastated New Orleans and hundreds of miles of coastline. Mark Bove, a...
Typhoon Kajiki Nears Vietnam, Bringing Strong Winds and Rain
Aug 25 2025 // Typhoon Kajiki made landfall along the northern part of Vietnam’s central coast on Monday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain that prompted a warning of possible flash floods and landslides across multiple...
Hurricane Erin Is Disrupting Both Europe’s Weather and Forecasts
Aug 22 2025 // Hurricane Erin is muddling computer models and making forecasters, analysts and traders question the accuracy of the outlook for heat, wind and storms across Europe next week. Erin, which churned through the Atlantic 330...
Markets/Coverages: Volvo Launches Independent Agency; Arden’s Wildfire Program Backed by SiriusPoint
Aug 22 2025 // Volvo Launches Independent Agency Auto manufacturer Volvo has launched an independent insurance agency offering not just car insurance for Volvos but also home and umbrella insurance. The Mahwah, New Jersey-based Volvo Car...
How Hurricanes, Fires and Floods Put Drugs and Medical Supplies at Risk
Aug 22 2025 // When Hurricane Helene barreled across several southern states last fall, it destroyed homes and killed more than 150 people. The storm also took out one of the country’s main factories producing intravenous fluid...
Hurricane Erin to Menace Eastern US Beaches Into the Weekend
Aug 21 2025 // Hurricane Erin is triggering dangerous beach conditions across much of the US East Coast that will likely last into the weekend, as the storm pushes north in the waning days of the summer travel season. Erin is not...
Southern California Faces Record Heat and Braces for Wildfires
Aug 20 2025 // A days-long heat wave rolling across parts of the US West is expected to ramp up wildfire risk, prompting California to pre-deploy crews as record-dry vegetation potentially acts as kindling for blazes. Temperatures in...
After Wildfire, Can Grand Canyon Mascot Be Restored?
Aug 19 2025 // Missing an ear and his front legs detached, Brighty the Burro certainly has seen better days. The 600-pound (273-kilogram) bronze statue used to greet visitors at the Grand Canyon Lodge on the national park’s North...
Europe’s Wildfires Have Burned the Most Land in Nearly 20 Years
Aug 19 2025 // Four major heat waves, dry conditions and strong winds have turned Europe into a tinderbox this summer, fueling the most destructive wildfire season in nearly two decades. Blazes have scorched about 8,948 square kilometers...
Studies Tie Unrecognized Deaths, Health Problems to Hawaii And LA Wildfires
Aug 19 2025 // The toll of wildfires is usually counted in acres burnt, property destroyed and lives lost to smoke and flames. But three new studies suggest the cost to human health from the Maui and Los Angeles wildfires was...
California’s new take on wildfire loss models, and what this means for property insurers
Aug 18 2025 // The California Department of Insurance (CDI) has made some serious moves to tackle the state’s insurance crisis head on, last year launching its Sustainable Insurance Strategy (SIS). With the SIS came a set of...
Update: Hurricane Erin Strengthens, Threatens US East Coast With Rough Surf
Aug 18 2025 // Hurricane Erin will likely become even larger as it churns past the Bahamas, avoiding land but raising the risk of high winds and flooding hundreds of miles away along North Carolina beaches. Erin’s top winds...
Texas Blames ESG Goals in Probe of Xcel Over 2024 Wildfires
Aug 18 2025 // The Texas attorney general is investigating utility Xcel Energy Inc. and its contractor for two wildfires that devastated the state last year, saying the companies may have prioritized environmental and diversity goals...
