Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Fracking, Earthquakes and Insurance: A Collision Course?
May 18 2015 // There is increasing information suggesting that hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking,” is not all it’s cracked up to be. While it is clear that the resurgence of oil and gas production in the...
Florida’s Hurricane Insurance Fund Replenished and Ready After 9 Quiet Years
May 15 2015 // Florida’s nine-year streak of avoiding hurricanes is helping the state reach a historic milestone: for the first time ever, the state-created fund designed to help pay out claims after storms has enough cash and...
South Dakota Tornado Damaged 84 Structures
May 14 2015 // Officials have confirmed damage to 84 structures from the tornado that ripped through the southeastern South Dakota town of Delmont on May 10. State Public Safety spokesman Tony Mangan says six of the structures were in...
Coalition Wants Well Moratorium in Oklahoma Earthquake Areas
May 12 2015 // A coalition of environmental and grassroots organizations is calling for a moratorium on the use of wastewater disposal wells by the oil and natural gas industry in areas where they may trigger earthquakes. Members of the...
Iowa, South Dakota Towns Assessing Tornado Damage
May 12 2015 // Residents of the tornado-ravaged Iowa and South Dakota towns are beginning to assess property damage after twisters hit on Sunday. In South Dakota, the Tripp-Delmont School District called off classes on May 11 because...
Super Typhoon Noul Delivers Glancing Blow to the Philippines: AIR Analysis
May 12 2015 // According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, Super Typhoon Noul “made a brief landfall along the mountainous northeastern tip of the main Philippine island of Luzon near the small city of Santa Ana, late...
Earthquake in Nepal Kills at Least 41, Injures Many, on Heels of April Temblor
May 12 2015 // An earthquake in Nepal on Tuesday killed at least 41 people and injured more than 1,000, a little over two weeks after thousands died in an even more powerful temblor. The 7.3 magnitude quake at 12:35 p.m. Indian time was...
Wild Weather Leaves 1 Dead in Texas; Tornados, Flooding Reported
May 11 2015 // Several tornadoes ripped through the northern part of Texas, leaving one person dead and others unaccounted for in a sparsely populated area over the weekend, authorities said. One of the tornadoes on Saturday shattered...
Toward Sensible Risk Management of Earthquake Risk in Energy Production
May 11 2015 // Underground disposal of waste water produced from oil and natural gas wells has been blamed for triggering thousands of small earthquakes in Oklahoma and a number of other U.S. states since 2009. Heightened seismic...
$952 Million: PERILS Initial Loss Estimate for Windstorm Mike-Niklas
May 11 2015 // PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization providing industry-wide catastrophe insurance data, has given an initial estimate for windstorm Mike-Niklas (Lentestorm in the Netherlands) of €853 million [$952...
State of Emergency Declared in Oklahoma Following Severe Storms, Tornados
May 7 2015 // Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has declared a state of emergency after an outbreak of severe storms that swept across the state on May 6 bringing tornados, high winds, hail and flooding. At least 39 tornados were reported to...
NOAA in Miami to Send More Hurricane Drones into Atlantic this Season
May 6 2015 // Scientists are planning to send more drones flying into hurricanes that develop during the upcoming Atlantic storm season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration first launched the 13-pound winged drones into...
Verisk Expands Wildfire Risk Service to 3 More States
May 5 2015 // Verisk Insurance Solutions has added Montana, Oklahoma and Wyoming to its FireLine wildfire risk management service. FireLine provides information to insurers to analyze wildfire risk at the individual address...
Wildfires Burn Buildings, Cause Evacuation in Central Wisconsin
May 4 2015 // Six buildings caught fire and 15 homes had to be evacuated as warm weather and dry conditions helped fuel wildfires in central Wisconsin. Catherine Koele, the wildfire prevention specialist for the state Department of...
2 Small Weekend Earthquakes Shake Central Mississippi
May 4 2015 // State emergency officials said no injuries or major damage were reported Saturday night as two small earthquakes briefly shook central Mississippi – a part of the state where quakes are unusual. The U.S. Geological...
Earthquake Fault Puts California at Risk for Tsunami
May 4 2015 // Scientists say the earthquake fault that runs through the coastal city of Ventura, Calif., can produce strong shaking and dangerous tsunamis, prompting state officials to study whether to revise hazard maps. The new...
Penn. Nixes Fracking Exclusions in Earthquake Endorsements
May 4 2015 // The Pennsylvania Insurance Department issued a notice telling insurance companies that earthquake endorsements to homeowners insurance policies in Pennsylvania cannot exclude coverage for earthquakes that may be caused by...
Researchers in Oklahoma Developing Seasonal Tornado Forecasts
May 4 2015 // Weather researchers in Oklahoma are working on a method to develop seasonal tornado forecasts that could predict the likelihood of the severe storms weeks in advance. Harold Brooks, senior research scientist at the...
North Texas Hit with Tornadoes, Large Hail
May 4 2015 // The National Weather Service said as many as 12 tornadoes and hail the size of softballs pounded portions of north Texas during the weekend of April 24 – 26. The Insurance Council of Texas reported that the storms...
2 Lawsuits Over 2013 Arizona Wildfire Dismissed by Judge
May 1 2015 // Two lawsuits filed against Arizona by homeowners whose properties were destroyed by the Yarnell Hill Fire have been dismissed. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge agreed Wednesday with the state’s argument that it...
