Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Update: Hurricane Erin Strengthens, Threatens US East Coast With Rough Surf
Aug 18 2025 // Hurricane Erin will likely become even larger as it churns past the Bahamas, avoiding land but raising the risk of high winds and flooding hundreds of miles away along North Carolina beaches. Erin’s top winds...
Texas Blames ESG Goals in Probe of Xcel Over 2024 Wildfires
Aug 18 2025 // The Texas attorney general is investigating utility Xcel Energy Inc. and its contractor for two wildfires that devastated the state last year, saying the companies may have prioritized environmental and diversity goals...
Rising La Niña Odds Point to More Hurricanes in the Atlantic
Aug 15 2025 // The world may be about to shift into a La Niña weather pattern, a development that would increase the risk of storms in the Atlantic as the height of hurricane season approaches there. Forecasters at the US Climate...
Thousands Flee Wildfires Across Greece as Heat Withers Crops
Aug 13 2025 // Greek coastguard vessels evacuated tourists and locals, while a volunteer firefighter died in Spain as authorities struggled to quell blazes across the Mediterranean. A wildfire in Volissos forced evacuations from two...
Typhoon Podul Slams Into Southern Taiwan, Hundreds of Flights Canceled
Aug 13 2025 // Typhoon Podul blew through southern Taiwan on Wednesday packing winds of up to 191 kph (118 mph) and leaving one person missing, as a large swathe of the island shut down and hundreds of flights were canceled. Taiwan is...
While LA Burned, Rules to Protect Homes From Wildfires Were on Hold
Aug 12 2025 // As wildfires raged across Los Angeles in January, a state official parried an email from a resident living on the edge of the conflagration: When would long-delayed regulations designed to protect high-risk homes like hers...
Wildfire Briefly Shut Dardanelles Strait to Shipping as Europe Battles Infernos
Aug 12 2025 // Wildfires briefly shut the Dardanelles Strait to shipping on Monday, as extreme heat and strong winds fueled blazes across the Mediterranean. The Dardanelles — a vital maritime chokepoint for oil and gas from the Black...
Update: Typhoon Podul Set to Strengthen Before Hitting Southern Taiwan
Aug 12 2025 // Eight of Taiwan’s southern and eastern regional governments decided to shut down schools and offices because of typhoon Podul, which is expected to reach the island on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and damaging wind...
Colorado Prison Evacuated as Growing Wildfire Becomes One of Largest in State History
Aug 12 2025 // A Colorado prison was evacuated as one of the largest wildfires in state history continued to grow, and officials warned residents of remote areas to be ready to leave Sunday as gusty winds and low humidity fed the...
CSU, NOAA Maintain Forecasts for Above-Average Hurricane Season
Aug 11 2025 // Colorado State University’s hurricane researchers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued updates to their 2025 Atlantic hurricane forecasts, with both maintaining calls for an...
Second California Wildfire Prompts Evacuations, Threatens Thousands of Structures
Aug 8 2025 // A brush fire in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles has forced thousands of evacuations, becoming one of two ongoing blazes of concern in California. The Canyon fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, which started...
NC Residents Can Now Seek State Aid After Tropical Storm Chantal
Aug 8 2025 // RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Individuals in central North Carolina counties whose homes and belongings were damaged by massive rains last month from Tropical Storm Chantal can now seek state-funded financial grants for temporary...
Porsches Destroyed by LA Wildfires Get New Life as Stained Glass Art
Aug 8 2025 // Ben Tuna is good at transforming rusted-out, patina-eaten wrecks into art. For the past few months, in a nondescript stucco warehouse on a sleepy street in Glendale, California, he has used stained-glass salvaged from...
California Wildfire Has Burned 96K Acres and Now Threatens 1,500 Structures
Aug 7 2025 // A wildfire burning in two counties, now the biggest fire in California this year, is threatening more than 1,500 structures and has burned more than 96,000 acres. The Gifford Fire burning in San Luis Obispo and Santa...
Deadly Wildfires Ravage Southwest France as Heat Wave Builds
Aug 6 2025 // France’s biggest wildfire in about two decades ravaged vineyards and farms in southern France, leaving one person dead and forcing residents to flee. About 2,100 firefighters, assisted by aircraft, are working to...
California’s Largest Wildfire of 2025 Threatens 870 Structures
Aug 6 2025 // A wildfire in California that has become the biggest fire in the state this year, prompting evacuation orders and threatening hundreds of structures, has grown to 83,933 acres. The fire, which started on Aug. 2 and covers...
Global Insured Losses From Natural Disasters Could Top $150B in 2025: Swiss Re Report
Aug 6 2025 // Global insured losses from natural catastrophes hit US$80 billion in the first half of 2025, which is almost double the 10-year average between 2015 and 2024 and marks the fifth year in succession when H1 losses have...
California Wildfire Burns 72,460 Acres, Threatens Hundreds of Structures
Aug 5 2025 // A wildfire in California that covers two counties, and prompted evacuation orders and threatened hundreds of structures, has grown to 72,460 acres. The fire is threatening more than 870 structures, according to CalFire. At...
California Wildfire Burns 65,000 Acres in Los Padres Forest, Prompts Evacuations
Aug 4 2025 // A wildfire in California has prompted evacuation orders and threatened hundreds of structures. The wildfire has grown to 65,062 acres, and was only 3% contained. Firefighters have been battling the Gifford fire in Santa...
No Major Impact Reported as Small Earthquake Shakes New Jersey-New York Area
Aug 4 2025 // A small earthquake rattled the New York metropolitan area Saturday night. The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor had a magnitude of 3.0. It hit in the New Jersey suburb of Hasbrouck Heights, less than 8 miles (13...
