Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Southeast Missouri Shaken by Magnitude 3.0 Earthquake
Oct 14 2019 // A small earthquake has been reported in southeastern Missouri. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 3.0 earthquake occurred just before 8 a.m. Saturday and was centered about 2.7 miles (4 kilometers) southwest of...
Hurricane Dorian Ties as Strongest Landfalling Atlantic Hurricane on Record: Aon
Oct 14 2019 // Hurricane Dorian made landfalls in the Bahamas, North Carolina, and Canada in early September, bringing total economic and insured losses in the billions, according to Aon’s monthly Global Catastrophe Recap...
Update: Typhoon Hagibis Rips Across Japan, Causing Flooding, Killing at Least 43
Oct 12 2019 // Japan is sending more than 110,000 people including its Self-Defense Forces to tackle rescue and cleanup operations in the wake of the most powerful typhoon to hit the country in decades, which left at least 43 people...
Wildfire Destroyed Dozens of Homes in Southern California
Oct 11 2019 // Burning trash dumped by a garbage truck caused a fire that by early Friday had destroyed dozens of homes in California’s Riverside County, fire officials said, as wildfires across the state led to power cuts for...
Hurricane Michael: One Year Later, Federal Aid for Recovery Totals Nearly $2B
Oct 10 2019 // Since Hurricane Michael made landfall Oct. 10, 2018, federal assistance for recovery in the 18 affected counties is nearly $1.9 billion, including FEMA grants, National Flood Insurance Program payments and U.S. Small...
Texas Windstorm Insurer Seeks Input for Actuarial & Underwriting Committee
Oct 10 2019 // Texas insurer of last resort for properties along the state’s coast is seeking input from the public in advance of a meeting of its Actuarial & Underwriting Committee. The Texas Windstorm Insurance...
Update: Super Typhoon Hagibis Tracks Toward Japan; Guy Carpenter, RMS Comment
Oct 10 2019 // Super Typhoon Hagabis has been a category 5 for much of the first half of this week, but fortunately is forecast to weaken to a category 3 typhoon when it makes landfall in Japan on Saturday morning, Oct. 12, said Guy...
Millions in Northern, Central California Lose Electricity to Mitigate Wildfire Risks
Oct 10 2019 // California utility giant PG&E Corp. expanded the biggest blackout that has ever been orchestrated to prevent wildfires with a second round of shutoffs in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The company told reporters late...
Eastern Australia Wildfires Destroy Up to 30 Homes
Oct 10 2019 // About 500 firefighters were battling out-of-control wildfires in eastern Australia that have destroyed up to 30 homes. More than 40 bushfires were burning across New South Wales state. Temperatures were cooler Wednesday...
Super Typhoon Hagibis on Track to Hit Japan, Disrupting Rugby World Cup
Oct 10 2019 // Two Rugby World Cup games pitting England against France and New Zealand against Italy have been called off as the powerful Typhoon Hagibis approaches Japan this weekend, organizers confirmed. The decision means both...
PG&E Could Cut Power to Hundreds of Thousands of Californians over Wildfire Fears
Oct 8 2019 // Pacific Gas & Electric officials on Tuesday announced plans to cut off power to some 600,000 Northern California customers as a wildfire safety precaution. The outages are expected to begin early Wednesday depending on...
California Wildfire Victims in PG&E Bankruptcy See $13.5B in Claims
Oct 8 2019 // A lawyer for the committee representing wildfire victims in the bankruptcy of PG&E Corp said at a hearing on Monday that the committee sees $13.5 billion as the cost to the power provider for paying claims of the...
Comments Sought on Proposed Claim Rules for Texas Windstorm Insurer
Oct 7 2019 // Texas insurance regulators are seeking input on proposed changes to claims-related rules for the state’s property insurer of last resort along the Texas coast. The Texas Department of Insurance has proposed changes...
Supreme Court Rejects Sempra’s Bid to Recover $379M from 2007 California Wildfire Payouts
Oct 7 2019 // The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a bid by Sempra Energy’s San Diego Gas & Electric Co to recover $379 million from customers related to damages it was forced to pay out in litigation after the...
Hurricane Dorian Caused More Than C$105M in Insured Damage to Atlantic Canada
Oct 7 2019 // Hurricane Dorian hit Atlantic Canada on Sept. 7 causing more than C$105 million (US$78.9 million) in insured damage, said Insurance Bureau of Canada, quoting the Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ).* The...
Lawsuit Says Colorado Railroad Ignited Fires Prior to Wildfire
Oct 7 2019 // A federal lawsuit says nearly 50 fires in Colorado were ignited by a railroad company in the weeks leading up to a major wildfire. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad caused the smaller fires along its tracks...
Earthquake Warning App Coming to Washington Next Year
Oct 4 2019 // Washington state officials have announced an earthquake warning phone application is expected to be available for download October 2020. KING-TV reports that the app ShakeAlert was designed to send people an alert on how...
22 New California Laws Take Aim at Wildfire Danger
Oct 4 2019 // California is adopting nearly two dozen laws aimed at preventing and fighting the devastating wildfires that have charred large swaths of the state in recent years and killed scores of people. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom...
Powerful Typhoon Mitag Lashes South Korea, Leaving 9 Dead
Oct 4 2019 // A powerful typhoon has lashed southern South Korea, with authorities saying Thursday that the storm left nine people dead and five others missing and knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes. Typhoon Mitag brought...
Nippon Steel to Shut Typhoon-Damaged Kimitsu Plant until End of December
Oct 4 2019 // Japan’s biggest steelmaker, Nippon Steel Corp., said on Thursday one of the two steelmaking plants at its Kimitsu Steel Works will be shut until the end of December, to repair a chimney that collapsed in a typhoon...
