Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Bankruptcy Judge Approves $13.5B PG&E Deal with California Wildfire Victims
Dec 18 2019 // A U.S. bankruptcy judge approved on Tuesday PG&E Corp.’s $13.5 billion settlement with victims of Californian wildfires, and the company’s stock rallied as the utility gained momentum to emerge from...
California and PG&E Reach $1.7B Deal on Wildfire Penalties
Dec 17 2019 // California utility regulators have reached a settlement with PG&E Corp. over violations tied to catastrophic wildfires ignited by the company’s power lines in 2017 and 2018. The proposed settlement would prevent...
Judge Rules U.S. Army Engineers May Be Liable for Hurricane Harvey Floods
Dec 17 2019 // Hundreds of Houston homeowners near U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-managed reservoirs may receive compensation for flooding of their properties during 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. The U.S....
PG&E Takes California Governor out of $13.5B Wildfire Deal
Dec 17 2019 // Bankrupt utility giant PG&E Corp. has removed a requirement that California Gov. Gavin Newsom sign off on its settlement with wildfire victims, trying to buy more time for its restructuring plan. PG&E reached an...
USDA Designates Some Louisiana Parishes as Natural Disaster Areas
Dec 16 2019 // Agriculture producers in some Louisiana parishes now may be eligible for assistance from the federal government due to losses from Hurricane Barry, the state’s agriculture commissioner reported. Louisiana Agriculture...
As California Thins Forests to Limit Wildfire Risk, Some Resist
Dec 16 2019 // Buzzing chainsaws are interrupted by the frequent crash of breaking branches as crews fell towering trees and clear tangled brush in the densely forested Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco. Their goal: To protect...
Hunt for Survivors Underway After Earthquake Hits Philippines Island Trade Building
Dec 16 2019 // Rescue teams in the southern Philippines searched for signs of life on Monday in a collapsed shopping center after a powerful earthquake that killed at least three people and wounded dozens more. Disaster response...
Tropical Storm Imelda: Another Unique Weather Event
Dec 16 2019 // Tropical Storm Imelda landed on the Texas Gulf Coast on September 17, 2019. Over the three-day duration of the storm, 43 inches of rain saturated some locations, with nearly 30 inches falling over a 12-hour period. Some...
Tornado Causes Minor Damage in Florida
Dec 16 2019 // Weather officials say a tornado caused minor damage after it touched down in Florida and traveled about 20 miles. According to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, the tornado touched down early Saturday morning...
Jefferson City Tornado-Related Insurance Claims Rise to More than $170M
Dec 16 2019 // State insurance officials say Jefferson City, Missouri, residents made more than $170 million in insurance claims after a tornado hit the city on May 22. Missouri Department of Insurance data shows insurers paid out more...
California Governor Rejects PG&E Bankruptcy Plan as Not Satisfying Wildfire Law
Dec 15 2019 // California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday rejected a bankruptcy reorganization plan submitted by PG&E Corp, the state’s largest investor-owned utility, saying its proposal fails to meet the requirements of a...
Royal Caribbean Cruises Faces Potential Liability for New Zealand Volcano Deaths
Dec 12 2019 // Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s potential liability for a deadly excursion to a volcanic island in New Zealand could hinge on whether the eruption was an unforeseeable “act of God,” according to maritime...
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...
