Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Buildings Damaged Following Massachusetts Tornado Warning, High Winds
Aug 6 2018 // A tornado warning in Massachusetts has expired, and meteorologists from the National Weather Service are surveying building damage that may have been caused by a tornado. Extensive damage to buildings and trees are...
Hurricane Maria Likely Killed 1,139, Far More Than Government Tally: Penn State Study
Aug 6 2018 // Some 1,139 people are likely to have perished after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September, far more than the official death count of 64, according to a Pennsylvania State University study published Thursday in the...
Dust from Sahara Desert Moves West, Puts Brakes on Atlantic Hurricanes
Aug 6 2018 // Atlantic storm watchers are going to have a hard time seeing the ocean, never mind any tropical systems, as another Saharan swirl of dust from Africa is moving west. The dust, a marker for dry air, has spread out across...
Typhoon Shanshan Heads Toward Tokyo, as 13th Tropical Storm of Season
Aug 6 2018 // Typhoon Shanshan is set to approach the Tokyo area later this week, bringing heavy winds and strong rains to a region suffering from a sweltering heatwave. Shanshan, the 13th tropical storm of the season, is projected to...
Class-Action Status OK’d in Oklahoma Suit Over Earthquakes
Aug 6 2018 // Central Oklahoma residents won’t get a trial this fall for a case against an oil company accused of triggering earthquakes that damaged homes and buildings. A Cleveland County judge has outlined rules for the...
One Year Ago: Reflections on the 2017 Hurricane Season
Aug 6 2018 // It’s hard to believe but August brings us to the one-year anniversary of the watery nightmare that was Hurricane Harvey and the beginning of the remarkable 2017 hurricane season that also featured Hurricane Irma...
At Least 3 Tornadoes Confirmed in Colorado
Aug 3 2018 // People on the plains of northeastern Colorado were cleaning up this week from a powerful storm that spawned at least three tornadoes, ripped off roofs and flipped trucks and small airplanes. No serious injuries were...
Atlantic Hurricane Season Had Early Start, but Fewer Storms Are Expected
Aug 3 2018 // The Atlantic hurricane season may have gotten off to an early start this year, but it’ll probably end with a whimper — at least when it comes to the total number of storms. Twelve named storms are likely to...
California Commissioner Asks Insurers to Help Speed Wildfire Recovery Efforts
Aug 1 2018 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced on Wednesday he is taking actions he says will help protect thousands of wildfire survivors. His first action is a notice requesting insurers to expedite claims...
S&P Probes If Reinsurers Are Ready for Another Year of Active Natural Disasters
Aug 1 2018 // After global insured natural catastrophe losses hit record highs in 2017, will reinsurers be able to withstand another year of active natural catastrophes? S&P Global Ratings indicates that while reinsurers are...
Possible Tornado Damages Homes Along Georgia Coast
Jul 31 2018 // Emergency officials say a possible tornado has left a trail of damage on the Georgia coast. No injuries were reported after a funnel cloud was spotted Friday afternoon on Whitemarsh Island, east of Savannah. The Chatham...
Damage in Colorado from Severe Storm Could Include Possible Tornadoes
Jul 31 2018 // Trees and power lines are knocked over and small planes are flipped upside down after a severe storm, which including tornado sightings and hail, moved across the plains of northeastern Colorado. A team from the National...
Northern California Wildfires Threaten 10,000 Homes
Jul 31 2018 // A pair of wildfires tearing through vineyards and brushy hills threatened some 10,000 homes in Northern California on Tuesday. The two fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties had burned seven homes by Monday night...
Northern California Wildfire Rages; More Deaths, Evacuations Reported
Jul 30 2018 // Thousands of dazed evacuees struggled to keep their emotions in check while trying to take care of themselves and their pets as a deadly wildfire in Northern California raged into its fourth day. Anna Noland, 49, was...
Strong Earthquake Hits Indonesia’s Lombok Island, Killing at Least 14 People
Jul 30 2018 // A strong and shallow earthquake early Sunday killed at least 14 people and injured more than 160 on Indonesia’s Lombok island, a popular tourist destination next to Bali, officials said. The quake damaged more than...
Tropical Storm Hits Japan, Heads for Region Still Recovering from Floods
Jul 30 2018 // A tropical storm in Japan disrupted transportation and knocked out power to thousands of homes in its path as it headed west toward a region still recovering from devastating rains earlier this month. At least 16 people...
Northern California Wildfire Kills One; Hundreds Evacuate
Jul 27 2018 // At least one person died in a wildfire that swept through Northern California, destroying buildings and forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate late Thursday. The blaze, which killed a bulldozer operator working on fire...
After Recent Historic Floods, Japan Readies for Typhoon Jongdari
Jul 27 2018 // Typhoon Jongdari is set to make landfall on Japan’s mainland this weekend, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to much of a country hit in recent weeks by a deadly heatwave and historic flooding. The typhoon was...
Tornado Confirmed in Eastern Alabama
Jul 26 2018 // The National Weather Service says a tornado toppled trees and damaged homes in Opelika in eastern Alabama. Al.com reports it was an EF-0 tornado with winds of 85 miles per hour that touched down on Saturday evening. No...
Global H1 Insured Natural Disaster Losses 40% Lower than 10-Year Average: Aon
Jul 26 2018 // Global insured losses from natural disasters for the first half were preliminarily estimated at US$21 billion, which is 40 percent lower than the 10-year average of US$35 billion and 19 percent lower than the 18-year...
