Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Official Figure on Insured Losses for 2018 California Wildfires Reaches $9B
Dec 12 2018 // The official tally for insured losses from this year’s major California wildfires is $9.05 billion – for now. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Wednesday released official figures for losses from the...
AM Best Downgrades Ratings of Mercury in California, Wildfires a Factor
Dec 12 2018 // AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) to “a+” from “aa-” for the members of Los...
2 Small Earthquakes Strike Western Colorado
Dec 12 2018 // Two mild earthquakes struck western Colorado, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The quakes hit early Tuesday but likely weren’t strong enough to cause any damage. The quakes were both just north of Glenwood...
Firms to Pay $9M to Settle Suit Over Damages in 2012 California Wildfire
Dec 12 2018 // Officials say a construction company and a logging firm have collectively agreed to pay $9 million for damages resulting from a 2012 wildfire that burned more than 1,600 acres of national forest land in Northern...
Sweden’s Wildfires Highlight Cost of Rapidly Changing Climate in Europe
Dec 12 2018 // Hannele Arvonen, the owner of one of Sweden’s largest lumber yards, is spending the winter months planning for a new and unexpected threat to her business: regular wildfires raging just south of the Arctic...
PG&E Sued for Ad Spending Instead of on Preventing Events Like the California Wildfire
Dec 11 2018 // PG&E Corp. was accused of putting its “reputation above public safety” in a lawsuit alleging that the power company spends too much on advertising and not enough on preventing devastating Northern...
Online Sleuthing Skills Help in Wake of California Wildfire
Dec 11 2018 // They have become known as the Angels of Paradise. But there is nothing ethereal about them. They are online sleuths who know how to find people, and they have been putting their skills to use in the aftermath of...
Low Earthquake Insurance Take-up in Alaska Due to High Cost?
Dec 11 2018 // With Alaska’s history of earthquakes, you might assume most homeowners have earthquake insurance. That’s not the case, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Only about 15 percent of Alaska homeowners buy...
The Race to Recovery: The Alaska Earthquake of Nov 30, 2018
Dec 10 2018 // This post is part of a series of sponsored by CoreLogic. A magnitude (M) 7.0 earthquake struck north of Anchorage, Alaska, on November 30, 2018. Located along the Ring of Fire which sees 81% of the world’s largest...
Damage from Massive Alaska Earthquake Evident at Military Base
Dec 10 2018 // Last week’s magnitude 7.0 earthquake near Anchorage caused multiple problems at the sprawling Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, including damage to steel frameworks, ceilings, and sprinkler and heating systems,...
BHSI Withdraws from Hong Kong Employees’ Compensation Terrorism Pool
Dec 10 2018 // Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co. (BHSI) announced that it has withdrawn from the Hong Kong Employees’ Compensation (EC) terrorism pool, effective Dec. 1, 2018. BHSI said it is now the first insurer in Hong...
South Carolina to Increase Hurricane Florence Aid Request to $435M
Dec 10 2018 // South Carolina’s congressional delegation will be able to ask for more funds to provide relief following Hurricane Florence, thanks to a move by the state’s governor. In a letter obtained Saturday by The...
Arkansas, Oklahoma Still Recovering From Last Week’s Tornadoes
Dec 7 2018 // Oklahoma and Arkansas continue recovery efforts following a series of tornadoes that ripped through the region last week. An EF2 tornado in Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller area destroyed homes, boat docks and buildings....
Aon Cites Need for Mitigation as Insured Wildfire Losses Top $10B for Second Year
Dec 7 2018 // Total aggregated economic losses for the wildfires that have burned across Northern and Southern California throughout the month are expected to minimally exceed $10 billion, while insurance claims payouts for wildfires...
Modeler: Insured Losses from Camp Wildfire in California at $6B to $9B
Dec 6 2018 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimates that industry insured losses from the Camp Fire in Northern California will be between $6 billion and $9 billion, and taken together with the Woolsey fire in Southern...
California Attorney General Brought into PG&E Wildfire Probe
Dec 6 2018 // California Attorney General Xavier Becerra was asked by a federal judge to weigh in on whether reckless operation of power lines by PG&E Corp. in connection with deadly Northern California wildfires would constitute a...
2 Tornadoes Cause Damage in Alabama
Dec 6 2018 // The National Weather Service says it has confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in Alabama last weekend. The emergency management director for Dothan and Houston County, Chris Judah, says a weak twister hit Dothan early...
Farmers Expects $2.1B in Claims from California Wildfires
Dec 5 2018 // Farmers Insurance expects $2.1 billion in claims from the California wildfires in November. The Los Angeles, Calif.-based carrier said it has so far received more than 9,000 claims combined for the Camp Fire in Northern...
Giant Hole Created by Hurricane Michael Threatens Housing, Cemetery in Florida Town
Dec 5 2018 // Hurricane Michael created a giant hole in a north Florida town that is threatening a nearby cemetery and public housing duplexes. The Tallahassee Democrat reported Sunday that the October storm caused a crater along a...
Florida Insurance Agents Improvise to Stay Connected During Hurricane Michael Recovery
Dec 5 2018 // The page has finally turned on the tumultuous 2018 hurricane season, but for the agents who live and work in the Florida Panhandle the story isn’t over – personally or professionally. “We all still feel like...
