Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.

CoreLogic: Texas, Louisiana Highly Vulnerable to Hurricane Storm Surge Losses

May 31 2018 // Texas and Louisiana are among the top three states for potential storm surge losses at the start of the 2018 hurricane season, which begins on June 1. That’s according to Irvine, California-based CoreLogic, a...

People, Organizations Working Together to Hurricane-Proof Houston-Area Community

May 30 2018 // The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, working in collaboration with area residents, the Clear Lake City Water Authority, or CLCWA, and Exploration Green Conservancy, have been collaborating to transform an...

Hurricane Maria Death Toll Much Higher Than Official Count Said: Harvard Study

May 30 2018 // Hurricane Maria probably killed about 5,000 people in Puerto Rico last year even though the official count remains at just 64, according to a Harvard University study released Tuesday. Such mortality would far outstrip the...

Survivors of Deadly Tennessee Wildfires Seek $14.8M from Feds in Lawsuit

May 30 2018 // Two survivors of deadly Tennessee wildfires that began in Great Smoky Mountains National Park have sued the federal government, claiming they lost loved ones and a home because of the negligence of park workers. The...

Florida Activates Anti-Fraud Teams in Wake of Tropical Storm Alberto

May 30 2018 // The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Disaster Fraud Action Strike Team (DFSAT) have been deployed across the state to protect Floridians from post-storm fraud that could occur in the aftermath of Tropical...

Flooding Worries Grip New Orleans as Hurricane Season Nears

May 29 2018 // Dr. Lauren Morris’s dental office is in sight of one of the pumping stations designed to push water out of New Orleans. But despite that proximity, the roughly year-old business has already flooded. Now with the June...

FEMA Reorganizing, Top Jobs Unfilled as Hurricane Season Gets Underway

May 29 2018 // With the hurricane season beginning, top jobs at the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency remain vacant and critics say that will make it harder for the government to respond to disasters. FEMA lacks a...

Report Blames PG&E Power Lines for 4 of Northern California Wildfires

May 28 2018 // PG&E Corp.’s equipment was responsible for causing four of the smaller wildfires that tore through Northern California last year, according to the first report issued by state investigators. The fires in Butte...

Oklahoma Earthquakes Lead to More Injection Well Shut Downs

May 25 2018 // The Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s Oil and Gas Division is directing some injection wells in north-central Oklahoma reduce injection volumes and others to stop operations. The directive issued Wednesday comes...

Hawaii, Central Pacific Could See Handful of Hurricanes This Season

May 25 2018 // The Central Pacific could see anywhere from three to six hurricanes over the next six months, forecasters predicted Wednesday. That would be an increase over the two named storms last year. Storm activity is likely to be...

Harvey-Arkema Lesson: Chemical Plants Must Plan for Natural Disasters

May 25 2018 // The U.S. Chemical Safety Board on Thursday urged chemical plants to weigh the risks of natural disasters just as they would the integrity of pipes and production equipment. “Such facilities should perform an analysis...

What NOAA Forecasts for 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season

May 25 2018 // On the heels of the costliest hurricane year on record, the Atlantic is expected to produce five to nine of the mighty storms during the six-month season that starts June 1, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

Florida Hurricane Fund in Good Shape for Storm Season

May 25 2018 // The Florida fund that helps private insurers pay out claims after a hurricane remains in good shape heading into a storm season. Despite losses from Hurricane Irma, estimates show the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund...

North Carolina Storm Recovery Chief Accedes Frustrations Over Hurricane Matthew Recovery

May 23 2018 // North Carolina’s emergency management chief acknowledged a laborious process for homeowners seeking federal funds for repairs due to Hurricane Matthew and is looking for improvements looking to the next storm. While...

Weather Service: Possible Tornado Touched Down in North-Central Oklahoma

May 22 2018 // The National Weather Service in Tulsa says a possible tornado touched down in north-central Oklahoma. Meteorologist Joe Sellars says the potential twister was only on the ground briefly Saturday afternoon between the towns...

New Jersey Reminds Residents, Insurance Companies to Prepare for Hurricane Season

May 22 2018 // The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance is urging the insurance and banking companies it regulates, as well as New Jersey residents, to prepare now for hurricane season, which officially begins June 1. All...

XL Catlin Adds Nieves to War, Terrorism, Political Violence Team in Atlanta

May 21 2018 // XL Catlin has promoted Lindsey Nieves to AVP, underwriting manager in its regional US War, Terrorism & Political Violence insurance team for the South and Central zone, which is headquartered in Atlanta. According to...

Insurers’ Worst Fear: Cyber Hurricane or Silent Cyber?

May 21 2018 // Insurers in the cyber insurance segment have enjoyed exponential growth in the market over the last 10 years, and that is expected to continue as the world becomes even more connected via the internet. But while the growth...

More Texans Exposed to Tornadoes Amid Urban Sprawl

May 18 2018 // Mark Fox cringes every time he relives the day his worst weather nightmare came true. April 3, 2012, was a hot and humid day in North Texas, and the unstable atmosphere spawned 17 tornadoes in five hours in the Dallas-Fort...

Central Oklahoma Shaken by Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake

May 17 2018 // An earthquake has rattled parts of central Oklahoma that were shaken a day earlier by a series of earthquakes. The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 8:40 a.m. Tuesday about 8 miles...