Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insured Losses from China’s Typhoon Mangkhut Estimated at US$1B-US$2B: AIR
Sep 26 2018 // Industry insured losses from Typhoon Mangkhut in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau will be between US$1 billion and US$2 billion, according to catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide. After making landfall in the...
High Winds, Tornadoes Damage Homes, Businesses in Southern Minnesota
Sep 24 2018 // Several tornadoes struck southern Minnesota as severe storms packing powerful winds and heavy rain left a trail of destruction overnight, the National Weather Service said Friday. The extreme weather late Thursday damaged...
Costs to Fight Wildfires in Utah Double This Year
Sep 24 2018 // Costs to fight wildfires in Utah are increasing by about $1 million a day right now and authorities expect the season to last throughout October. State Forester Brian Cottam says on average, there are roughly 1,100 fire...
California Passes Handful Bills Aimed at Protecting Wildfire Survivors
Sep 21 2018 // Five bills that their proponents say will protect wildfire survivors were signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday. The bills are aimed at addressing critical issues facing wildfire survivors including...
California Governor Signs Bill Giving Wildfire Victims Options for Rebuilding
Sep 21 2018 // Homeowners who lose their houses to wildfire will be able to use their insurance to rebuild somewhere else under an urgency bill signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday. Assembly Bill 1800, authored by by...
Following July Tornado, 60 Iowa Buildings Deemed Unsafe
Sep 21 2018 // Officials in central Iowa have designated about 60 structures as unsafe following a July tornado that damaged about 2,000 buildings. The Times-Republican reports that the properties in Marshalltown now have small red...
Remnants of Florence Spawned Six Tornadoes in Virginia
Sep 21 2018 // The National Weather Service has confirmed that the remnants of Hurricane Florence spawned a total of six tornadoes in Virginia earlier this week. Five of the tornadoes on Monday were spread across the Richmond metro area....
Feds Say Maryland Man Stole Hurricane Victim’s IDs as Part of $8M Scam
Sep 20 2018 // A Maryland man is accused of stealing hurricane victim’s identities as part what the Secret Service describes as an $8 million effort to scam a Federal Emergency Management Agency program. News outlets reported...
Largest Wildfire in California History Officially 100% Contained
Sep 19 2018 // Officials announced on Wednesday that the Mendocino Complex Fire, the largest wildfire in California’s history, is now 100 percent contained. The blaze burned a combined 459,123 acres, destroyed 280 structures...
Florence Floods: Hurricane Rating System Fails to Account for Deadly Rain
Sep 19 2018 // When meteorologists downgraded Hurricane Florence from a powerful Category 4 storm to a Category 2 and then a Category 1, Wayne Mills figured he could stick it out. He regrets it. The Neuse River, normally 150 feet away,...
Seismic Activity Increases Around Alaska Volcano
Sep 19 2018 // The Alaska Volcano Observatory is keeping watch on a remote volcano that’s showing signs of erupting. The observatory this week increased the alert level from “advisory” to “watch” at...
After Spate of Typhoons & Hurricanes, World’s Oceans May Take a Breather
Sep 19 2018 // With the remnants of Hurricane Florence wringing out heavy rain through the Appalachians and New England this week, and Typhoon Mangkhut winding down in southern China, it looks like the world’s oceans may take a...
Hurricane Florence’s Surge Is Expected to Hit Homes That Already Cost the Government Millions: ProPublica
Sep 18 2018 // Though the flooding from Hurricane Florence is predicted to be unprecedented, residents of the coastal North Carolina towns threatened by the storm surge know what it’s like to take on water. Some homes in these...
Karen Clark & Co. Estimates $2.5B in Insured Losses from Hurricane Florence
Sep 18 2018 // Insured losses from Hurricane Florence will reach $2.5 billion, according to an estimate from Karen Clark & Co. The estimate of insured losses to residential, commercial, and industrial properties and autos comes from...
Hurricane Florence Likely to Expose Gaps in Flood Insurance
Sep 17 2018 // The number of Americans with flood insurance is on the rise, yet Hurricane Florence is likely to make it painfully clear that too many homeowners in the Carolinas and other vulnerable regions remain unprotected. . An...
Iowa Denied Federal Disaster Assistance for July Tornadoes
Sep 17 2018 // A federal agency has denied disaster assistance for residents and business owners of Marshall and Polk counties who endured tornadoes in July. Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office announced the Federal Emergency Management...
California’s Governor: Insurance Fared Better in Wildfires Bill
Sep 17 2018 // California lawmakers didn’t go as far as Governor Jerry Brown wanted to address potential liabilities for utilities from wildfires, and the governor said that “it’s hard to say” if they ever...
Virginia Museum Workers Act Fast to Protect Valuable Collection in Hurricane Florence
Sep 17 2018 // The Durand-Ruel sisters didn’t dress for hurricane season. The eldest had on a wide-brimmed hat, the kind one would take to a high-society garden party. Both wore white gowns that looked as though their sheerness...
Hong Kong, Southern China Restoring Operations After Super Typhoon
Sep 17 2018 // The financial hub of Hong Kong began clearing up on Monday after being battered by one of the strongest typhoons in recent years, with financial markets and offices operating as normal. Super typhoon Mangkhut, with...
South Carolina Issues Hurricane Florence Data Call, Emergency Order to Insurers
Sep 17 2018 // The South Carolina Department of Insurance has issued two Hurricane Florence-related notices to all property and casualty insurers doing business in the state. SCDOI Director Ray Farmer issued an emergency regulation...
