Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
New York State Prepares Long Island for Hurricane Jose’s Impact
Sep 20 2017 // New York state officials have deployed members of the National Guard and specialized emergency response units to Long Island to prepare for potentially severe weather caused by Hurricane Jose. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says 100...
Most Produce Farmers Hit by Recent Hurricanes Not Covered by Federal Crop Insurance
Sep 20 2017 // In the U.S, government-backed insurance plans help compensate farmers for losses after natural disasters. Unfortunately for the produce growers that were ravaged by recent hurricanes, a lot of the nation’s vegetable...
Category 4 Hurricane Maria Barrels Into Puerto Rico
Sep 20 2017 // Hurricane Maria slammed into southeastern Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm with the potential to inflict $30 billion in damages just two weeks after Irma ravaged the cash-strapped island. Top winds reached 155 miles (249...
Search for Survivors Underway after Mexico Earthquake; Hundreds Killed
Sep 20 2017 // Mexican search and rescue teams worked through the night after an earthquake rocked one of the world’s largest urban centers, killing hundreds and reducing buildings to rubble. Military police, paramedics and...
Rain and Snow Help Montana Wildfires But Won’t End Season
Sep 19 2017 // Rain snow and cold have replaced heat and smoke after about two dry months on Montana’s fire lines, leaving crews scrambling for extra sleeping bags, heaters, coats and long underwear. While the change in weather is...
What If an Irma-Like Hurricane Hit the New York City Metro Area?
Sep 19 2017 // It sounds like a Hollywood disaster movie. A Category 5 hurricane churning in the mid-Atlantic suddenly veers northwest – and heads straight for New York City. The good news is that, for now, experts agree a Cat...
Financially-Strapped Puerto Rico Faces Hurricane Maria After $1 Billion Hit by Irma
Sep 19 2017 // Two weeks ago, Puerto Rico was spared a devastating hit when Hurricane Irma ripped up the Caribbean. This time, it may not be so lucky. The bankrupt island, already contending with the aftermath of a storm that left as...
Expert’s Advice to Florida Agents: Report Claims That Fall Below Hurricane Deductible
Sep 19 2017 // With many agents currently assisting clients in determining if they have claims and the insurance claim filing process in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, one most common question received by the Florida Association of...
4 Hurricane Irma-Affected U.S. Attorney Offices Form Fraud Task Forces
Sep 19 2017 // The National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) along with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the District of Puerto Rico, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida and Northern District of Florida have formed...
Category 5 Hurricane Maria Slams Dominica on Way to Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico
Sep 18 2017 // Hurricane Maria caused “mind boggling damage,” ripping off roofs across the small island of Dominica before pushing on toward the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Tuesday as the second top-strength storm...
Hurricane Harvey-Caused Oil, Chemical Spills Dwarfed by Katrina’s
Sep 18 2017 // More than 22,000 barrels of oil, refined fuels and chemicals spilled at sites across Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, along with millions of cubic feet of natural gas and hundreds of tons of other toxic substances, a...
Hurricanes to Usher in Short-Term Hard Market for Property Risks: Survey
Sep 18 2017 // Damage left by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey will lead to a hardened property market and pricing correction, at least in the short-term according to a new KPMG survey. In related analysis, a new Morgan Stanley report...
Weakening Hurricane Jose Could Graze Massachusetts Wednesday
Sep 18 2017 // A weakened Hurricane Jose could graze the Northeast as Hurricane Maria tears through the Caribbean, gaining strength and possibly heading toward the U.S. in a week. Jose will probably be downgraded to a tropical storm as...
Hey Congress, Hurricanes and Health Care Have a Lot in Common: Bloomberg View
Sep 18 2017 // As Congress continues to struggle with health insurance reform, members should be ruminating on the scenes of “recovery” beaming in from East Texas and Florida, where the majority of households — many now...
A.M. Best: Hurricane Irma to Test Florida Market Newbies
Sep 18 2017 // Although insured losses as a result of Hurricane Irma will not be as severe as originally forecast, the storm still represents a sizeable catastrophe event that will test the infrastructure and potentially strain the...
Hurricane Costs Become Talk of Monte Carlo’s Reinsurance Rendezvous
Sep 18 2017 // As Hurricane Irma battered Florida, the cream of the insurance world — gathered in Monte Carlo — was assessing the costs of the storm for the global industry. The takeaway so far: Irma and its predecessor,...
Hurricane Maria Speeds Up, Threatening Already-Battered Caribbean Islands
Sep 17 2017 // For the third time this month, a hurricane is spinning toward the already battered Caribbean and gathering strength along the way. The National Hurricane Center upgraded tropical storm Maria to a hurricane Sunday as winds...
ICT Pegs Hurricane Harvey Insured Losses at $19B
Sep 15 2017 // The Insurance Council of Texas (ICT) has placed the insured losses from Hurricane Harvey at $19 billion. That number includes an estimated $11 billion in flood losses insured by the National Flood Insurance...
M4.2 Earthquake Shakes Central Alaska
Sep 14 2017 // A magnitude 4.2 earthquake has hit central Alaska, the Alaska Earthquake Center has confirmed. According to the center, the earthquake struck at 11:32 p.m. on Tuesday and its epicenter was 39 miles north of the town of...
Texas AG Sues 3 Businesses for Price Gouging During Hurricane Harvey
Sep 13 2017 // Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits against three Texas businesses, accusing them of unlawful price gouging while consumers were in need of fuel, shelter and other essentials as a result of Hurricane...
