Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas Windstorm Insurer: No Rate Hike for 2020
Aug 6 2019 // Texas’ provider of last resort for wind and hail insurance for Texas coastal properties won’t be raising its residential and commercial property rates next year. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA)...
U.S. Northwest Faces Growing Wildfire Threat
Aug 6 2019 // Nestled in the foothills of Washington’s Cascade Mountains, the bustling Seattle suburb of Issaquah seems an unlikely candidate for anxiety over wildfires. The region, famous for its rainfall, has long escaped major...
Earthquake Repairs at Alaska Schools Could Top $150M
Aug 5 2019 // Repairs and upgrades at Anchorage, Alaska-area schools damaged last year’s big earthquake could cost more than $150 million, officials said. The Anchorage School District said the new estimate triples the original...
Artificial Intelligence Helps to Contain Wildfires, Predict Wild Weather
Aug 5 2019 // On a tower in the Brazilian rainforest, a sentinel scans the horizon for the first signs of fire. Only these eyes aren’t human. They don’t blink or take breaks, and guided by artificial intelligence they can...
Vast Sahara Dust Cloud Hinders Formation of Tropical Storms in Atlantic
Aug 3 2019 // Dry air from the Sahara that’s carrying enough dust it can be seen from space is preventing thunderstorms over the Atlantic from strengthening into powerful tropical systems. The system sits hundreds of miles...
California Governor Defends State’s Wildfire Efforts
Aug 2 2019 // Gov. Gavin Newsom defended California’s wildfire prevention efforts this week while criticizing the federal government for not doing enough to help protect the state as it enters the height of fire season after two...
Sun Valley Climate Conference’s Broad Agenda: Wildfires, Military, Insurance, Resilience
Aug 1 2019 // Washington had a record 1,850 responses to wildfires on Department of Natural Resources lands last year. Over the last five years, wildfires have continued to hit the state hard. One state official, who believes climate...
Court Upholds Facebook Immunity in Case Brought by Terrorist Attack Victims
Aug 1 2019 // Facebook Inc. on Wednesday defeated an appeal by American victims of Hamas attacks in Israel, who sought to hold the company liable for providing the group a social media platform to further its terroristic goals. The 2nd...
Florida Regulator Calls Open Hurricane Michael Claims ‘Discouraging’; Plans Data Call
Aug 1 2019 // With more than 20,000 claims related to Hurricane Michael still open nine months after the storm hit the Florida Panhandle, Florida’s top insurance regulator is calling on the insurance industry to take “all...
North Carolina Residents Hit by 2 Hurricanes Still Waiting on Long-Term Aid
Jul 31 2019 // The heating and air conditioning in Carrie Johnson’s home – damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 – still wasn’t fixed when Hurricane Florence flooded her house last September. Now, her home of over 50 years...
Rice U. Says Its Hurricane Plan for Houston Better Than $20B Coastal Barrier
Jul 30 2019 // For about a decade, two of Texas’ top universities have pushed dueling plans to protect the Houston-Galveston region from hurricanes. A concept championed by Texas A&M University at Galveston appears to be...
Texas Windstorm Insurer: Rate Inadequacy Up Year Over Year
Jul 29 2019 // In advance of its Aug. 6 board meeting in Galveston, the insurer of last resort for wind and hail in counties along the Texas coast said it has determined its residential coverage rates are inadequate by 41.7 percent and...
Tornado, Flood Repairs to Missouri Facilities Could Cost Almost $13M
Jul 29 2019 // Repairs to Missouri government facilities damaged by recent tornadoes and flooding could cost almost $13 million, a majority of which would go toward fixing a historic prison that state officials are still trying to decide...
Oregon Lagging on Disaster Preparedness, Scientists Warn
Jul 29 2019 // Oregon state lawmakers abandoned a multimillion-dollar project to develop early warning systems for earthquakes and wildfires, and scientists warn that the funding shake-up could endanger public safety and put Oregon...
Tropical Storm Erich Forms, Expected to Become Hurricane as It Heads Toward Hawaii
Jul 29 2019 // Tropical Storm Erich has formed in the Pacific far off the western coast of Mexico and is predicted to become a hurricane by Monday night as it moves over open waters on a path that could take it near the Hawaiian Islands...
Utilities Want in on California Wildfire Insurance Fund, But Others Will Decide
Jul 26 2019 // All three of California’s investor-owned utilities have now signed off on the creation of a $21 billion wildfire fund that any one of them could tap the next time a power line sparks a catastrophic blaze. PG&E...
Massachusetts Governor to Seek Disaster Declaration for Cape Cod Tornado
Jul 26 2019 // Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker says he’ll seek a federal disaster declaration to support cleanup and recovery efforts on Cape Cod after a tornado and high winds caused extensive damage and knocked out power to...
Crews Aided by Light Rain in Battle Against Arizona Wildfire
Jul 25 2019 // Light rain falling Wednesday helped crews battle a wildfire near Flagstaff, Arizona, that has raged for days in a mountain pass recreation area overlooking the city, officials said. Up to 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain...
High Winds, Tornado Rip Off Cape Cod Hotel Roof, Lead to Power Outages
Jul 25 2019 // High winds and one radar-confirmed tornado ripped off a hotel roof, downed trees that blocked roads, and knocked out power to thousands on Cape Cod on Tuesday during the peak of tourist season. A tornado struck Yarmouth...
First Half Natural Disasters Cost Insurers $20B, Down 26% from 18-Year Average: Aon
Jul 25 2019 // Global insured losses from natural disasters during the first half were estimated at US$20 billion, which is 26% lower than the H1 average of US$27 billion seen during the years 2000-2018, according to Aon’s...
