Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Alaska Getting $36M Federal Grant for Earthquake Recovery
Dec 12 2019 // A federal agency awarded Alaska a $35.8 million federal grant to support earthquake disaster recovery efforts, officials said. The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the grant in response to the damaging...
New Zealand Tragedy Raising Questions About Live Volcano Tourism
Dec 11 2019 // Tourists caught in the deadly blast at New Zealand’s White Island were there despite a recent increase in volcanic activity, although experts said precise predictions on eruptions were all but impossible. Five people...
Texas Windstorm Insurer to Assess Members $90M for Harvey, Defer Action on Rates
Dec 10 2019 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association board of directors voted today to assess member insurance companies $90 million based on losses from Hurricane Harvey and voted to defer further consideration of action regarding...
8 People Presumed Dead After New Zealand Island Volcano Eruption
Dec 9 2019 // Eight people were missing and presumed dead on Tuesday after a volcanic eruption covered a small New Zealand island popular with tourists in hot ash and steam, killing five people and seriously injuring about 30...
PG&E Gains on $13.5B Settlement With California Wildfire Victims
Dec 9 2019 // PG&E Corp. surged on the strength of a Friday announcement it had secured a $13.5 billion settlement with victims of wildfires ignited by its power lines, a step toward resolving the biggest utility bankruptcy in U.S....
5 Dead, Others Missing After Volcano Erupts in New Zealand
Dec 9 2019 // New Zealand police said early on Tuesday they did not expect to find any more survivors from a volcanic eruption that killed at least five people, injured up to 20 and left an unknown number unaccounted for. The volcano,...
California Commissioner Calls for Statewide Non-Renewal Moratorium, More Measures to Protect Wildfire Victims
Dec 5 2019 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday issued a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance companies non-renewing policyholders, a move he says will help at least 800,000 homes in wildfire disaster...
PG&E Nearing $13.5B Deal With California Wildfire Victims
Dec 5 2019 // Bankrupt California power producer PG&E Corp. is close to finalizing terms for a $13.5 billion payout to victims of wildfires triggered by its power lines, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with...
After Oil Field Attacks, Saudi Aramco Seeks Terrorism Insurance from London Market
Dec 4 2019 // Saudi Aramco is looking to buy insurance against war and terror attacks after a damaging drone and missile attack on some of its oil facilities in September, two sources told Reuters. Aramco, the world’s largest oil...
Death Toll from Typhoon Kammuri Rises as Storm Passes South of Manila in Philippines
Dec 4 2019 // The death toll from Typhoon Kammuri rose to 17 people after destroying houses and displacing hundreds of thousands on its path across the Philippines. As it neared its exit, tropical cyclone wind signals have been lifted...
Factors that Contribute to Prolonged Recovery after California Wildfires
Dec 4 2019 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. As strong winds further exasperate the prime weather conditions for wildfires in California, efforts to save lives and property are a foremost priority of emergency...
Missouri Buying Earthquake Simulator to Increase Awareness of New Madrid Risk
Dec 4 2019 // Missouri emergency management officials are buying a $200,000 machine that will simulate an earthquake to prepare residents for a big temblor in a region where one of the most powerful earthquakes east of the Rocky...
Earthquake Rattles Prague, Oklahoma, Site of Past 5.7 Temblor
Dec 4 2019 // The U.S. Geological Survey has reported a magnitude 3.8 earthquake in Oklahoma near Prague, where a magnitude 5.7 quake struck eight years ago. Prague City Manager Jim Greff says there are no reports of injury or damage...
Insurers Pay $4.1M in Claims During Recent Hurricane Michael Claims Villages
Dec 3 2019 // Claims villages hosted by the Florida Department of Financial Services since August 2019 have led to the resolution of $4.1 million in insurance claims for nearly 750 residents impacted by Hurricane Michael, according to a...
Probe Finds PG&E Failed to Inspect Transmission Lines That Caused 2018 Wildfire
Dec 3 2019 // Bankrupt California power producer PG&E Corp. did not properly inspect and replace transmission lines before a faulty wire sparked a wildfire that killed more than 80 people in 2018, a probe by a state regulator has...
Typhoon Kammuri Hits Philippines, Killing at Least 3, Displacing 500,000 More
Dec 3 2019 // The Philippines reopened its main airport late Tuesday as Typhoon Kammuri heads to the South China Sea, leaving at least three people dead and displacing half a million more. Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s...
Pre-Thanksgiving Tornadoes Strike Parts of Mississippi
Dec 2 2019 // Residents in northeast Louisiana and central Mississippi were cutting up fallen pine trees and assessing damage Wednesday after tornadoes hit the region. Officials in Mississippi said eight to 10 houses were damaged in...
Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake Confirmed on Southern Oregon Coast
Dec 2 2019 // A small earthquake hit Port Orford on the southern Oregon coast, shaking the small community. The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed the 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck at about 5:45 p.m. Friday, with its epicenter about two...
5% Rate Hike Recommended for Texas Windstorm Insurer
Dec 2 2019 // When the board of directors of Texas’ property insurer of last resort for wind and hail along the Texas coast meets in December, its members will be considering a recommendation by the organization’s actuarial...
California Faces Decade of Unique Wildfire Blackouts
Dec 2 2019 // California utility PG&E Corp. has imposed 10 intentional blackouts this year to reduce risks its power infrastructure could spark wildfires and said they will continue for a decade. PG&E initially said outages...
