Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Natural Disasters in Past Decade Broke Records for Economic, Insured Losses: Aon
Jan 22 2020 // The past decade broke new records in terms of economic damages and insured losses, according to Aon’s latest catastrophe report. The costs to global economies reached US$2.98 trillion between 2010 and 2019, which was...
North Carolina Awarded $281M for Hurricane Damage by Army Corps
Jan 22 2020 // The Army Corps of Engineers will award $281 million to a North Carolina city and county heavily impacted by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. The Corps will release $237 million to Surf City/ North Topsail Beach and $44.5...
Earthquake Felt in Eastern Tennessee, Kentucky
Jan 22 2020 // A small earthquake hit East Tennessee on Monday, officials said. The U.S. Geological Survey said a magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck near Fincastle, Tennessee in Campbell County. A USGS map showed it was felt around East...
Feds Charge 2 Florida Women with Hurricane Irma Disaster Assistance Fraud
Jan 21 2020 // Two Florida women have been accused of lying about damage caused by Hurricane Irma in separate cases, federal prosecutors announced last week. Indictments were returned charging Bernita Willette Carswell, 36, of...
Sonoma County Looking to Sue PG&E for Damages From Wildfire
Jan 21 2020 // A county in Northern California wine country is exploring plans to sue a utility over a massive wildfire last fall that combined with rolling power shutoffs caused losses of $725 million. The Sonoma County Board of...
Hurricane Dorian’s Bahamas Storm Toll: $3.4 Billion in Damages, 3 Years of Rebuilding
Jan 17 2020 // The Bahamas may need to tap international debt markets as it confronts the steep cost of recovering from the most destructive hurricane ever to hit the islands. The government will probably borrow about $500 million in...
Judge Presses PG&E on How It Will Protect Wildfire Victims’ Funds Given FEMA Demand
Jan 17 2020 // PG&E Corp. needs to explain how it will keep a promise to pay fire victims $13.5 billion in the face of a demand from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a cut of that money, a bankruptcy judge said...
Alabama School District Closes School Damaged by EF-2 Tornado
Jan 16 2020 // A north Alabama school district is closing some of its schools this week after a tornado caused heavy damage at an elementary school, the superintendent said. A twister that forecasters determined was an EF-2 with winds up...
Alaska School District Weighing Cost of Earthquake Relief
Jan 16 2020 // Negotiations between the Anchorage School District in Alaska and the federal government over earthquake damage relief could result in the district turning down millions in funds, an official said. The negotiations over...
Philippine Volcano Erupts, Forcing Evacuation of Thousands of Residents
Jan 14 2020 // A lock-down is being implemented by police in three towns in the Philippines near an erupting volcano, 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of capital Manila, to prevent residents from returning home as heavy ash fall and...
FEMA Administrator: We Want California Wildfire Costs From PG&E, Not Victims
Jan 13 2020 // A regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday said FEMA is going after California utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric for $3.9 billion owed the government due to wildfires that PG&E was...
Oklahoma Bill Would Create Entity Focused on Natural Disaster, Hazard Mitigation
Jan 13 2020 // Legislation filed in Oklahoma would establish an organizational framework for addressing mitigation of natural disasters in that state. House Bill 2776, The Oklahoma Hazard Mitigation Assessment District Act, provides the...
7 Confirmed Tornadoes in Phoenix Metro Area Last Year
Jan 13 2020 // The National Weather Service reports there were seven confirmed tornadoes in Arizona’s Maricopa and Pinal counties last year, the most in nearly five decades. Meteorologists say last year’s total is second only...
Judge: Survivors of Tennessee Wildfire Can Sue National Park Service
Jan 13 2020 // Survivors of a historically deadly Tennessee wildfire that killed 14 people can sue the National Park Service for failing to warn them of the danger, a federal judge has ruled. The fire began in the Great Smoky Mountains...
Puerto Rico Hit with Second Earthquake on Southern Coast; 4,000 People in Shelters
Jan 12 2020 // A magnitude 5.9 quake shook Puerto Rico on Saturday (January 11) causing millions of dollars of damage along the island’s southern coast, where previous recent quakes have toppled homes and schools. The U.S....
Hundreds Left Homeless, Thousands Without Power from Puerto Rico Earthquake
Jan 9 2020 // Cars, cots and plastic chairs became temporary beds for hundreds of families who lost their homes in southwest Puerto Rico as a flurry of earthquakes struck the island, one of them the strongest in a century. The magnitude...
New Policy Contracts Now in Effect at Texas Windstorm Insurer
Jan 8 2020 // Texas’ insurer of last resort for wind and hail along the coast says new terms and conditions for policies with an effective date on or after January 1, 2020, are now in place. The updated coverages, terms, and...
Tornado Damages Buildings in Central Florida City
Jan 7 2020 // The National Weather Service said a tornado touched down in a central Florida community Saturday and caused around $20,000 in damage to city property. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado traveled a quarter...
Update: Australia’s Firefighters Take Advantage of Cooler Weather to Help Quell Wildfires
Jan 7 2020 // Firefighters are taking advantage of cooler weather to quell southeastern Australia’s wildfires that have killed at least 24 people and prompted stirring messages from stars at the Golden Globes. Some 130 blazes...
Pool Re Takes Steps to Make Terrorism Cover More Accessible to U.K. Businesses
Jan 6 2020 // Pool Re, Britain’s leading terrorism reinsurer, announced it is taking steps to help reduce costs and improve the accessibility of terrorism insurance for businesses in the U.K., in part by expanding the definition...
