Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hurricane Irma Devastates Chain of Caribbean Islands, Now Setting Sights on Florida
Sep 7 2017 // Irma barreled toward Florida after battering Puerto Rico and devastating a chain of small Caribbean islands, as the Category 5 hurricane threatens to turn into the most expensive storm in U.S. history. Irma, one of three...
Update: Insurance Industry Preparation for Hurricane Irma in Full Swing in Florida
Sep 7 2017 // Source: National Hurricane Center Insurers are taking no chances in preparing for Hurricane Irma as the powerful category 5 storm slogs its way through the Caribbean, devastating the communities left in its wake on its...
Houston’s Small Businesses Digging Out from Hurricane Harvey
Sep 7 2017 // Josh Beasley and his fiancé bought Houston’s Body3 Personal Fitness on July 1, less than two months before Tropical Storm Harvey swamped the gym with a foot of water and left behind the dank stench of fetid...
Here’s What a Category 5 Hurricane Could Do to Florida
Sep 7 2017 // Florida hasn’t suffered a category 5 storm since Hurricane Andrew hit the north Miami area on Aug. 24 1992, but the risk of such a storm has not gone away or even declined. In fact, the state’s risk of...
Hurricane Irma Brings Fierce Winds, Surf and Rain to Caribbean Islands
Sep 6 2017 // Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, churned across northern Caribbean islands on Wednesday with a potentially catastrophic mix of fierce winds, surf and rain, en route to a possible...
Florida’s Private Flood Insurers Could Face Big Test from Hurricane Irma
Sep 6 2017 // Hurricane Irma could test a nascent private flood insurance market in Florida that some advocates say is a model for making U.S. flood coverage more affordable and commonplace in high-risk areas. Florida’s private...
Powerful Hurricane Irma, on Path to Slam Caribbean Then Florida, Could Surpass Katrina
Sep 5 2017 // Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm to form in the open Atlantic Ocean, made landfall in the Caribbean early Wednesday and barreled toward Puerto Rico on a path that may bring it ashore in Florida and destroy so much...
Earthquakes Rattle Southeast Idaho: USGS
Sep 5 2017 // The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed a moderate magnitude 5.3 earthquake has rumbled through southeast Idaho. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter of the quake was located 11 miles east of...
Western U.S. Wildfires Force Evacuations of Thousands
Sep 5 2017 // Wildfires forced thousands to flee their homes across the U.S. West during a sweltering, smoke-shrouded holiday weekend of record heat. The fires caused evacuations in Glacier National Park in Montana and many other parts...
Florida in State of Emergency as Category 5 Hurricane Irma Threatens
Sep 5 2017 // Florida declared a state of emergency before a possible hurricane strike after Irma strengthened to become a Category 5 storm on its approach to the Caribbean. Irma’s maximum winds rose as high as 175 miles an hour...
Hurricane Harvey Puts Pressure on Regional Insurers in Texas, Says A.M. Best
Sep 5 2017 // Losses anticipated from Hurricane Harvey are unlikely to exceed the top reinsurance limits of insurers writing business in Texas, according to new Best’s Special Report, titled, “Texas Insurers Expected to...
AGCS Expands Terrorism, Political Violence Coverage for U.S. Businesses
Sep 5 2017 // Allianz Group’s specialist corporate insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) has launched coverage for U.S. businesses when faced with loss related to terrorism and political violence both at home and...
Remnants of Harvey Spawn Tornadoes, Floods Across Deep South
Sep 5 2017 // Wayne Doss surveys the damage to his cousin Danny Doss’ mobile home, which was completely destroyed by a tornado in Pickens County, Ala., after a tornado struck Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. The tornado damaged several...
Southern U.S., Caribbean Islands Brace for Hurricane Irma
Sep 4 2017 // Hurricane Irma, barreling toward the Caribbean and the southern United States, was upgraded to a powerful Category 4 storm on Monday as islands in its path braced for a possible onslaught. Hurricane advisories were issued...
Official Blames Humans for Utah’s Wildfire Cost Doubling
Sep 4 2017 // Utah State Forester Brian Cottam said “stupid human tricks” have led to the states’ wildfire bill being double what it usually is. Cottam says the cost to Utah for this year’s wildfires is projected...
Lessons Learned from Hurricane Andrew
Sep 4 2017 // How the Insurance Industry Can Mitigate the Next Big Natural Disaster As an industry, we knew there could be large and costly hurricanes. We witnessed the destruction that Category 5 Hugo wrought on the Carolinas in 1989....
25 Years Later: How Florida’s Insurance Industry Has Changed Since Hurricane Andrew
Sep 4 2017 // Aug. 24, 1992 was anything but a typical Monday for Robert Reynolds as he drove through debris-filled roads and devastation on the way to his family-run agency then located just north of Homestead, Fla. Hurricane Andrew...
Failed Communications Impacted Tennessee Wildfire Response
Sep 4 2017 // Records show failed communication systems hampered the response to last fall’s deadly Tennessee fires. Records that Sevier County began to release in August show that wind and fire on Nov. 28 combined to disable cell...
As Harvey Winds Down, Hurricane Irma Waiting in Wings
Sep 1 2017 // Hurricane Harvey has left major devastation in Texas, but there is another hurricane called Irma out in the Atlantic that could take aim at the United States within the next week or so. Irma became a hurricane early on...
4,500 Evacuated as Oregon Wildfires Burn
Aug 31 2017 // Wildfires in Oregon are burning an area roughly equivalent to half the state of Rhode Island, affecting air quality throughout the state and forcing the evacuations of more than 4,500 people, fire authorities said on Aug....
