Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Assessing Effects of Government Shutdown on Wildfires, Workforce, Research
Jan 28 2019 // The government may be reopening, but the consequences of the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history are likely to linger for national parks, forests, the federal workforce and cutting-edge scientific research. Some may...
Tornado, High Winds Damage Florida Homes, Church, Zoo
Jan 28 2019 // Authorities say a possible tornado damaged several homes and downed trees and powerlines as a line of storms crossed central Florida. News outlets report winds tore much of the roof off of the parsonage at Tuscanooga...
Trump Expands Federal Reimbursement for Florida’s Hurricane Michael Cleanup
Jan 28 2019 // Florida will get potentially hundreds of million dollars for Hurricane Michael recovery after President Donald Trump agreed to expand the number of days the federal government will reimburse state and local governments for...
Hurricane Florence Demonstrates Perils of Being Underinsured/Uninsured, Says RMS
Jan 24 2019 // Hurricane Florence caused extensive freshwater flood damage in the Carolinas and parts of Virginia in September—and about 70 percent of those flood losses will be uninsured, according to RMS. “The insured loss for...
Texas Sunset Board: Legislature Needs to Decide Nature of Windstorm Insurer
Jan 23 2019 // To be the insurer of last resort for wind and hail insurance along the Texas coast, without state support and reliant on premium dollars and debt financing for funding, or to be a true insurance company that derives...
California’s Massive Wildfires Push Travelers to Seek Higher Premiums
Jan 22 2019 // California’s deadly wildfires are raising the specter of higher insurance premiums for homeowners in the state. After “two significant years in a row of losses, I think the discussion and the debate about the...
Travelers Grew Q4 Profit Despite California Wildfire, Hurricane Michael Losses
Jan 22 2019 // Travelers Cos. reported that despite catastrophe losses from the California wildfires and Hurricane Michael, it boosted its profit in the fourth quarter of 2018 thanks to growth in premiums and investment income. Net...
Insurance Covered $90B of Natural Disaster Losses in 2018, Leaving 60% Protection Gap
Jan 22 2019 // The economic costs of last year’s 394 natural catastrophe events came to US$225 billion with insurance covering US$90 billion of the overall total, creating the fourth costliest year on record of insured losses,...
Tornadoes Cause Damage in Alabama, Florida Panhandle
Jan 22 2019 // Homes, businesses, government offices and churches were among the buildings badly damaged or demolished when tornadoes struck central Alabama over the weekend. The severe weather hit Saturday and another tornado was...
Researchers Looking into How Drones Can Predict Wildfire Spread
Jan 21 2019 // A University of Missouri researcher is teaming up with scholars in Kansas and Georgia to develop drone technology to monitor and potentially predict the spread of wildfires. The $1.2 million research project that began...
California Wildfires, Hurricane Michael Top List of 2018’s Costliest Natural Disasters: Munich Re
Jan 21 2019 // The costliest natural catastrophes occurred in the United States in 2018 with one of California’s devastating wildfires and Hurricane Michael topping the list, according to Munich Re. A report from Munich Re on last...
Wildfires, Dynamex Dominate California Wholesaler Conference
Jan 21 2019 // Wildfires and the Dynamex decision dominated discussions at an insurance wholesaler conference in early January. The California Wholesaler Association conference in La Jolla, Calif., from Jan. 6 to Jan. 8 featured numerous...
For New Governors, Natural Disasters Will Be Necessary Priority
Jan 21 2019 // Even Governors Skeptical of Climate Change Can’t Avoid Need to Plan for Future Storms, Fires Governors have a range of priorities they want to tackle in the coming year, from tax reform to education. Yet, one topic...
3.7M Earthquake Hits Northern California
Jan 17 2019 // The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed a 3.7 preliminary magnitude earthquake rattled the small city of Piedmont in northern California. The USGS says the tremor occurred on Wednesday at 4:42 a.m. The impacts of the...
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Oklahoma
Jan 16 2019 // Officials say there are no reports of damage after a 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck northern Oklahoma on Tuesday morning. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was centered near Hayward, or about 50 miles north of...
Multiple Smaller Natural Disasters in 2018 Created ‘Unusual’ Insured Loss Picture: Willis
Jan 16 2019 // Insured loss estimates from major natural catastrophes in 2018 totaled roughly $71.5 billion, the highest since 2011’s annual market losses of $120 billion, according to Willis Re. However, the insured losses in 2018...
Magnitude 3.6 Earthquake Shakes Part of Northern Oklahoma
Jan 15 2019 // The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake shook parts of northern Oklahoma early in the morning on Jan. 14. Geologists say the 3.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 2:20 a.m. Monday near Waukomis, about 80 miles...
‘Goat Fund Me’ Campaign Launched by California Town to Prevent Wildfires
Jan 14 2019 // The threat of catastrophic wildfires has driven a California town to launch a “Goat Fund Me” campaign to bring herds of goats to city-owned land to help clear brush. Nevada City in the Sierra Nevada began the...
PG&E Bankruptcy Looms With $30B in Potential Liabilities from California Wildfires; CEO to Exit
Jan 14 2019 // PG&E Corp. said it will file for bankruptcy in California after the cost of wildfires left it with potential liabilities of $30 billion or more, gutting its share price and prompting the departure of its chief...
Trump, California in Battle Over Wildfire Relief Funds
Jan 11 2019 // President Donald Trump threatened this week to withhold money to help California cope with wildfires after Gov. Gavin Newsom asked him to double the federal investment in forest management. Trump again suggested poor...
