Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Wildfires Wrapup: Aerial Assault Aims to Stem LA Palisades Fire Spread
Jan 11 2025 // LOS ANGELES, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Aircraft dropped water and fire retardant on steep hills to stem the eastward spread of the Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles on Saturday as on-the-ground firefighting intensified amid...
The Most Important LA Wildfire Stories to Know About
Jan 10 2025 // As firefighters gain more control over what have become the most destructive wildfires in U.S. history in a matter of days, the scale of the destruction and losses is becoming clearer. Despite the cacophony of a world...
Update: Re/Insurer Losses From LA Wildfires Expected to Be Significant but Manageable
Jan 10 2025 // Insurers are facing significant losses from the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires — given the high value of homes and businesses in the affected communities. However, those losses are likely to be manageable for...
Edison Denies LA Wildfire Involvement as Insurers Ask It to Preserve Evidence
Jan 10 2025 // Southern California Edison said on Thursday it had received notices from insurance companies to preserve evidence related to the Eaton Fire that is still burning in Los Angeles, but said no fire agencies have pointed the...
Insured Losses From Los Angeles Wildfires Rising: $8B to $20B
Jan 9 2025 // Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new AccuWeather total loss estimates. With aerial firefighting returning as strong Southern California winds died down for a bit, damage assessments from a handful of...
Major Florida Citrus Grower to End Operations After Years of Hurricanes and Blight
Jan 9 2025 // ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A major grower said this week it is abandoning its citrus growing operations, reflecting the headwinds Florida’s signature crops are facing following a series of hurricanes and tree...
Insured Losses From Natural Disasters Hit $140B as Climate Change ‘Shows Its Claws’
Jan 9 2025 // Insurers saw the third most expensive year for natural catastrophe losses in 2024 – reaching a total of US$140 billion – as climate change “is showing its claws,” according to Munich Re. Overall economic...
Oregon’s New Rules for Homeowners Living in Certain High-Risk Wildfire Areas
Jan 9 2025 // Oregon homeowners living in certain areas at high risk of wildfire will face stricter building codes and mandates to reduce vegetation on their properties under new “wildfire hazard maps” unveiled Tuesday. The...
California Wildfires Will Likely Lead to Large Economic and Insured Losses
Jan 8 2025 // Active wind-driven wildfires in Southern California that are estimated to have burned more than 1,000 properties and prompted evacuation orders for more than 80,000 residents will likely lead to what industry watchers say...
Tibet Earthquake Kills at Least 126 People, Leaves Many Trapped
Jan 8 2025 // A strong earthquake shook a high-altitude region of western China and areas of Nepal on Tuesday, damaging hundreds of houses, littering streets with rubble and killing at least 126 people in Tibet. Many others were trapped...
Thousands Flee From Uncontrolled Wildfires Burning Near Los Angeles
Jan 8 2025 // Millions of people in California face at least two more days of dry, hot winds that have fanned fires across Los Angeles County and sent residents fleeing for their lives. Hurricane-force wind gusts of as much as 86 miles...
Earthquakes and Blowouts Undermine Case for Carbon Storage in Texas
Jan 7 2025 // Texas has seen surging interest from companies hoping to bury carbon dioxide in its oilfields, putting the state at the vanguard of a government-subsidized program to fight climate change. But pumping CO2 into the ground...
China Says 32 People Killed, 38 Hurt as Earthquake Hits Tibet
Jan 7 2025 // China said 32 people have been killed and another 38 were injured by an earthquake that struck its far western region of Tibet. The epicenter of the magnitude 6.8 quake that hit around 9:05 a.m. Tuesday morning was in...
Wildfire Smoke Health Risks Can Linger in Homes That Escape Burning
Jan 2 2025 // (THE CONVERSATION) On Dec. 30, 2021, a wind-driven wildfire raced through two communities just outside Boulder, Colorado. In the span of about eight hours, more than 1,000 homes and businesses burned. The fire left entire...
Storm System Spawned 45 Reports of Tornadoes Across South
Dec 31 2024 // Officials assessed the damage on Sunday after a strong storm system moved across the southern U.S. over the weekend, spawning tornadoes and killing at least four people. There were at least 45 reports of tornado damage...
Another Hurricane Cost: Duke Energy Files to Recover $1B in Expenses from Storms
Dec 31 2024 // Florida consumers, already fuming in recent years from higher property insurance premiums, repair costs and homeowner association fees, could soon see another burden on their pocketbooks: Duke Energy has filed a plan with...
Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi Kill 2 and Injure 6
Dec 30 2024 // HOUSTON (AP) — A strong storm system threatened to whip up tornadoes in parts of the U.S. Southeast on Sunday, a day after severe weather claimed at least two lives as twisters touched down in Texas and...
AT&T, Verizon Say Networks Now Clear After Salt Typhoon Hack
Dec 30 2024 // AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. acknowledged that they’d been hit by the China-linked Salt Typhoon hacking operation but that their networks were now clear from the intrusion. The hackers attempted to...
The War on Wildfires Is Going High-Tech
Dec 27 2024 // Last December, a farmer was burning dry grapevines in his vineyard in Deir Mar Moussa, a hill town a dozen miles east of Beirut known for its 18th century monastery and stands of pine forest. Usually this would be...
Farmers Still Reeling After Hurricane Helene Ravaged Crops Across the Southeast
Dec 23 2024 // LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Twisted equipment and snapped tree limbs still litter Chris Hopkins’ Georgia farm more than two months after Hurricane Helene made its deadly march across the South. An irrigation sprinkler system...
