Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Gulf Coast Braces for Tropical Storm Marco; States Declare Emergencies
Aug 23 2020 // 08/22/2020 05:30 PM — Marco, one of two tropical storms headed for the U.S. Gulf Coast, was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane later on Saturday as coastal governors urged residents to prepare for the unprecedented...
Weather Service Probes Damage in New Jersey to Determine if Tornado Hit
Aug 21 2020 // National Weather Service officials on Thursday were trying to determine if a tornado touched down as a severe thunderstorm moved across a portion of New Jersey. Heavy rain and powerful winds sent residents scrambling in...
Florida Mayor, City Attorney Charged in $5M Hurricane Michael Fraud Scheme
Aug 21 2020 // The mayor and city attorney of a Florida Panhandle city are the latest to be charged in the theft of $5 million in Hurricane Michael debris removal funds, prosecutors announced Wednesday. Lynn Haven Mayor Margo Anderson...
Colorado Banning Open Fires as State Battles 4 Wildfires
Aug 19 2020 // Gov. Jared Polis issued a 30-day ban on open fires such as campfires, fireworks and other open sources of ignition on Tuesday as the state battles four separate wildfires. The ban does not include home barbecues, public...
Roadmaps for Wildfire Mitigation Provide Guidance for Suburban Neighborhoods
Aug 19 2020 // New wildfire guidelines from an insurance industry home safety organization offer guidance for adapting suburban communities to the growing threat of wildfire. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)...
Florida Unveils $10M Loan Program to Aid Hurricane Michael-Ravaged Panhandle
Aug 19 2020 // Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a $10 million housing loan program that could benefit hundreds of home buyers in the Florida Panhandle, which was devastated two years ago by Hurricane Michael. DeSantis traveled to Panama City...
Oregon Wildfire in Mop-up Phase, 36 Structures Destroyed and 660 Threatened
Aug 18 2020 // A wildfire burning in the scenic Columbia River Gorge that has destroyed dozens of structures is 65% contained, according to authorities. Some evacuation orders were downgraded as of Monday because of the containment...
Texas Forest Service Warns of Increased Wildfire Activity, Fuel Dryness
Aug 17 2020 // Continued hot and dry conditions across much of the state have resulted in increased wildfire activity, particularly in north central Texas and in areas along the Interstate-35 corridor, the Texas A&M Forest Service...
Weather Service: Storms Spawn at Least 6 Tornadoes in Minnesota
Aug 17 2020 // The National Weather Service has confirmed that storms on Aug. 14 spawned at least six tornadoes in Minnesota. Survey crews determined the strongest tornado was an EF1 in McLeod County packing winds estimated at up to 95...
Heatwaves Raising California’s Wildfire Risk
Aug 17 2020 // The current heatwave broiling Californians like no event in decades is also elevating the risk for another potential disaster in the weeks ahead: wildfires. While heat and dry conditions have contributed to the Lake and...
RMS Estimates Insured Losses from Hurricane Isaias at $3-$5 Billion
Aug 17 2020 // Estimated total insured losses from Hurricane Isaias will be between $3.0 and $4.5 billion in the U.S. This includes estimated losses to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) of between $400 and $700 million,...
California Wildfires Burning Amid High Risk of Large Blazes
Aug 14 2020 // Dry vegetation fueled three wildfires near Los Angeles amid warnings Friday that the risk of new blazes erupting was high as temperatures spike and humidity levels drop during a statewide heat wave. A huge forest fire that...
New Jersey Provides Guidance for Homeowners After Tropical Storm Isaias
Aug 13 2020 // The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) has provided guidance for homeowners suffering property damage caused by the recent tropical storm that rattled the state. DOBI has issued guidance for New Jersey...
Google Turns Android Phones Into Earthquake Sensors
Aug 12 2020 // Alphabet Inc’s Google’s Android phones on Tuesday started detecting earthquakes around the world to provide data that could eventually give billions of users precious seconds of warning of a tremor nearby, with...
California Bill Addressing Property Rates in Wildfire-Prone Areas Awaits Hearing
Aug 11 2020 // The stage has been set for a major battle over a California bill due to be heard in the next few weeks in a key committee that opponents say is a direct attack on insurance consumer protections and proponents say is the...
Texas Windstorm Insurance Company: No Rate Change for Now
Aug 11 2020 // The board of directors of Texas’ property insurer last resort for wind and hail in the state’s coastal counties has voted to file a 0% rate change with the Texas Department of Insurance. The Texas Windstorm...
Tropical Storms Could Set a Record at 25 This Season
Aug 11 2020 // The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last Thursday predicted up to 16 more named tropical storms this year, to as many as 25, the highest in the agency’s history. The 2020 Atlantic...
Connecticut Residents Warned About Repair Scams After Tropical Storm Isaias
Aug 11 2020 // Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has warned Connecticut residents to be on alert for tree removal, power restoration or other repair scams in areas still without power or where heavy damage resulted from Tropical...
Weather Service Says Delaware Tornado Set Distance Record
Aug 11 2020 // A single tornado cut a record 29-mile swath of damage through Delaware as Tropical Storm Isaias pelted the mid-Atlantic region with high winds and heavy rains earlier this week, according to the National Weather...
Insured Losses From Hurricane Isaias Could Reach $4 Billion in U.S.
Aug 10 2020 // Hurricane Isaias likely caused $4 billion of insured losses in the U.S. and $200 million in the Caribbean, according to risk modelers at Karen Clark & Co. The estimates cover privately insured wind and storm surge...
