Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

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

Containment on Massive California Wildfire Increases

Jul 26 2016 // Containment has increased on a wildfire north of Los Angeles, which has grown to more than 58 square miles. Officials report the blaze is 25 percent surrounded as of today, and most of the evacuation orders affecting...

Tropical Storm Darby Makes Landfall on Big Island of Hawaii: AIR

Jul 25 2016 // Tropical Storm Darby, which formed off the coast of Mexico on July 11, quickly reached hurricane status as it moved westward toward Hawaii finally reaching landfall on Monday, according to catastrophe modeling firm AIR...

Woman’s Joplin Tornado-Related Suit Against Home Depot Tossed

Jul 25 2016 // A federal judge has tossed out a woman’s lawsuit against Home Depot over the deaths of her husband and two children who had sought refuge inside the big-box store destroyed during the devastating 2011 tornado in...

California Wildfires Gut Homes, Force Evacuations

Jul 25 2016 // Thousands were forced to flee a wildfire burning in tinder-dry canyons in Southern California, authorities said. The fire has destroyed at least 18 homes in northern Los Angeles County. The blaze momentum two days after it...

Weather Service Determines Tornado Touched Down in Washington

Jul 25 2016 // The National Weather Service says a tornado touched down near Coulee City as severe weather hit the Inland Northwest. The weather service confirmed the tornado touched down at about 3:30 p.m. Friday in the area, about 95...

Utah Law Enables Authorities to Crash Drones at Wildfires

Jul 22 2016 // Utah’s governor has signed into law a measure that makes the state the first to let authorities jam drone signals and crash the devices specifically for flying too close to wildfires. Republican Gov. Gary...

Can States Stop Man-Made Earthquakes?

Jul 21 2016 // Stopping an earthquake before it starts? It sounds like a feat possible only for a superhero. But in Kansas and Oklahoma state policymakers are showing that insofar as humans are causing earthquakes, they can stop them,...

Southern Colorado Wildfire Now 30 Percent Contained

Jul 19 2016 // Firefighters are letting areas of a wildfire burn near Coaldale in southern Colorado because it is too dangerous to get into some wilderness areas, but they have managed to protect homes and contain 30 percent of the blaze...

Federal Government Sues California Homeowner for $25M over Wildfire

Jul 18 2016 // The federal government is suing a California homeowner for nearly $25 million, contending his negligence sparked a 2013 fire in the mountains east of Los Angeles that forced 5,000 people from their homes. The lawsuit says...

New Jersey Storms Spawn Tornado, No Injuries Reported

Jul 18 2016 // Weather forecasters have confirmed a tornado touched down in New Jersey. The National Weather Service says a tornado with 75 mph winds was confirmed near White Township on July 14. Tom Smith says he saw a twisting black...

Allianz Names XL Catlin’s Posner Senior Underwriter for Terrorism Insurance in North America

Jul 14 2016 // Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) reported that Adam Posner has been named senior underwriter for Terrorism & Political Violence insurance. Posner will be based in New York and he will report directly to...

XL Estimates Q2 Cats to Cost $240M, Led by Alberta Wildfires

Jul 14 2016 // XL Group Plc, the insurer that expanded last year with the purchase of Catlin Group Ltd., said second-quarter catastrophe costs were probably about $240 million pretax, with wildfires in Alberta, Canada, responsible for...

Southern Colorado Wildfire Expected to Grow

Jul 13 2016 // Firefighters were expecting a wildfire burning near Coaldale to grow Wednesday in dry, windy weather but crews are working toward getting the blaze contained near the town between Canon City and Salida. However, the Hayden...

Storms & Earthquakes Drive Up Insured Losses in 1H 2016: Munich Re

Jul 13 2016 // Economic losses caused by natural catastrophes in the first half of 2016 totaled US$70 billion, a significant increase from the $59 billion reported for the first half of last year, according to a loss review issued by...

London Market’s Electronic Placing Platform Binds 1st Standalone Terrorism Risk

Jul 12 2016 // London Market Group (LMG) announce that the first standalone terrorism risk was bound on PPL – the London Market’s electronic placing platform – within the first hour of trading yesterday morning. The broker was...

Alaska Asking for Input on Updated Tsunami Guidelines

Jul 11 2016 // The University of Alaska Fairbanks and the state officials are seeking public input on new guidelines for how coastal communities should respond to tsunamis. The Kodiak Daily Mirror reported that new modeling shows the...

London Market’s Electronic Placing Platform Begins Trading Terrorism Risks

Jul 11 2016 // London Market Group (LMG) announced that PPL – the London Market’s electronic placing platform began trading today, with brokers and underwriters exchanging information on standalone terrorism risks, the first...

With 2016 Hurricane Season Underway, Florida AOB Storm Mounting

Jul 11 2016 // As hurricane season rolls on in Florida, one of the best protections against storms is a strong homeowner/insurance agent relationship. Having the right policy is just the start. Agents can help homeowners protect...

Typhoon Nepartak Lashes Taiwan, to Weaken Before Hitting China

Jul 8 2016 // Super typhoon Nepartak hit Taiwan on Friday, driving thousands of people from their homes, disrupting power supply and forcing the cancellation of more than 600 flights, emergency authorities said. Television showed images...

Alberta Wildfires to Cost Insurers About $2.8B, in Canada’s Costliest Disaster

Jul 8 2016 // The wildfires that tore across the oil-producing region of Canada this year will cost insurers about C$3.58 billion ($2.8 billion) in claims, the most costly insured natural disaster in the country’s history, an...