Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Top 15 Metro Areas at Risk this Hurricane Season
Jun 26 2019 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. Hurricanes are often some of the most destructive and costly natural hazards. Their impact on homes, businesses and infrastructure comes in the form of strong winds and...
Florida Keys to Receive $21M for Hurricane Irma Recovery
Jun 26 2019 // Officials say the Florida Keys will receive $21 million for Hurricane Irma recovery, along with $35 million for affordable housing. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the money during a Thursday news conference in Marathon. The...
Oregon Lawmakers Repealed Tsunami Zone Building Law
Jun 25 2019 // The Oregon Legislature has repealed a nearly 25-year-old law prohibiting new schools, hospitals, jails, and police and fire stations from being built in the state’s tsunami inundation zone. The Statesman Journal...
Report Says Major Hurricane Could Cost Virginia $40B
Jun 25 2019 // Experts say that southeastern Virginia could suffer $40 billion in losses if it’s struck by a major hurricane. Professors from Old Dominion University said in a recent report that the damages could seriously puncture...
Texas Windstorm Insurer Funded at $4.2 Billion for 2019 Hurricane Season
Jun 24 2019 // Texas’ insurer of last resort for properties in counties along the state’s coastline says it has $4.2 billion in available funds as this year’s hurricane season gets underway. By comparison, at the start...
California Governor Wants Wildfire Fund to Help Utilities
Jun 21 2019 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pressing lawmakers on a wildfire fund that may be financed through bonds to help utilities pay for the catastrophic blazes their power lines keep igniting, according to people familiar with...
AIR Worldwide Releases Update of New Zealand Earthquake Model
Jun 21 2019 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide (AIR) announced the release of its updated earthquake model for New Zealand. This model incorporates the latest scientific research after the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquake...
Ghost of Harvey Looms Large as 2019 Hurricane Season Gets Underway
Jun 21 2019 // Compared with 2017, last year’s hurricane season was a relatively quiet one for the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana and Texas, with major U.S. storm systems such as Hurricanes Michael and Florence staying well to the...
Weather Service Ups Weekend Tornado Count in Indiana to 10
Jun 20 2019 // Officials have confirmed that a 10th tornado struck Indiana as part of a weekend outbreak that damaged a school, a shopping mall and other buildings. The National Weather Service issued the update Tuesday, saying the...
Tornado Damages Homes in Mississippi; No Injuries Reported
Jun 20 2019 // Forecasters say a tornado caused some damage in Hinds County – a somewhat uncommon storm for June in central Mississippi. The National Weather Service says the EF-1 twister struck Monday near Raymond, Mississippi. No...
How PG&E’s $1B to Local Governments for Wildfire Damage Will be Paid
Jun 20 2019 // A California utility agreed Tuesday to pay $1 billion to 14 local governments to cover damages from a series of deadly wildfires caused by its downed power lines. The settlement is a sliver of the more than $30 billion in...
Insured Property Losses for December 2018 Sydney Hailstorms Rise to A$766M: PERILS
Jun 20 2019 // Insured losses for the hailstorms, which hit the greater Sydney region on Dec. 20, 2018, have risen to A$766 million (US$526.6 million), according to PERILS, in its third loss estimate for the storms. PERILS, the...
Caribbean Insurers’ Net Income Rebounds After 2016-2017 Hurricane Seasons: AM Best
Jun 19 2019 // An analysis of AM Best-rated property/casualty insurers based in the Caribbean found that overall net income rebounded significantly following the 2016-2017 hurricanes to $32.2 million in 2018 compared with a $4.3 million...
Weather Service: 9 Confirmed Tornadoes Hit Central Indiana over Weekend
Jun 18 2019 // The National Weather Service says at least nine tornadoes struck Indiana, damaging a school and other buildings and downing trees. It says three EF2 tornadoes with winds up to 130 mph (210 kph) struck Greene, Monroe and...
Harvey Recovery Ongoing as 2019 Hurricane Season Begins
Jun 17 2019 // Early forecasts for the 2019 U.S. Atlantic hurricane season anticipate the period will be an “average” one. Hurricane season officially runs June 1 through November 30, however, the first named storm of the...
What Might Happen If Congress Fails to Renew Terrorism Reinsurance Program
Jun 17 2019 // The long-term viability of the U.S. property terrorism insurance market is back in the spotlight as Congress looks at renewing the federal reinsurance backstop, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act...
Agencies Conduct Preliminary Tornado Damage Assessment in 10 Ohio Counties
Jun 17 2019 // Federal and state emergency management teams on June 5 began assessing damage in areas in the 10 Ohio counties impacted by late-May tornadoes. The Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA) joined the Federal Emergency...
Nevada Attorney General Recommends $25M Wildfire Settlement
Jun 14 2019 // Nevada’s attorney general is recommending approval of a $25 million settlement with homeowners and insurance companies who sought more than $300 million in damages from the state after a fire destroyed 24 homes south...
Travelers Beefing Up Wildfire Protection After 2018 California Blazes
Jun 14 2019 // Travelers Cos. is strengthening its wildfire-defense efforts after deadly blazes swept through California last year. The insurer is adding a service to all of its California home and landlord policies, helping customers...
Wyoming Expecting Average Wildfire Conditions
Jun 13 2019 // Average conditions are predicted for the Wyoming wildfire season this year, but officials say they expect the season to be less severe than last year. Wyoming Public Radio reports State Forester Bill Crapser says fire...
