Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Indiana Township Gets Tornado Siren with Girl Scout’s Help
Apr 30 2015 // A small township east of Indianapolis has its first tornado siren thanks to the efforts of a Girl Scout. WISH-TV reports the siren was installed April 28 in the Hancock County community of Green Township. The nearest siren...
60K Auto Insurance Claims Expected from April Hailstorms in Texas
Apr 30 2015 // Multiple hailstorms in Texas over the second half of April are expected to result in at least 60,000 auto insurance claims, the Insurance Council of Texas reported. “Hail and windstorm claims are still coming in from...
California Suburban Wildfire Sparked by Power Tool
Apr 29 2015 // Los Angeles fire officials say a brush fire in California that that briefly threatened homes in a heavily populated suburban neighborhood was caused by sparks from a power tool that a homeowner was using to clear...
Hurricane Sandy Judges Demand Clearing of Settlement Roadblocks
Apr 28 2015 // Federal officials and flood insurance companies were chastised by a panel of New York judges for imposing delays on settlements with hundreds of Hurricane Sandy victims who alleged their claims were wrongfully denied or...
Update: Nepal Says Earthquake Rebuilding to Exceed $10B, Will Take Years
Apr 28 2015 // The cost to rebuild Nepal after its most devastating earthquake in eight decades will exceed $10 billion and take years, Finance Minister Ram S. Mahat said. The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude temblor on April 25 has...
Nepal Earthquake Losses Could Top $2 Billion; Sparse Insurance Coverage
Apr 27 2015 // The earthquake that struck Nepal caused about $2 billion in economic losses in the country, and only a fraction of the cost will be incurred by insurers, according to Kinetic Analysis Corp. Damage in India could cost an...
North Texas Hit with Tornadoes, Large Hail
Apr 27 2015 // The National Weather Service said as many as 12 tornadoes and hail the size of softballs pounded portions of north Texas overnight. The storms turned violent beginning near Rising Star in Eastland County and proceeded...
Seasonal Tornado Forecasts Being Developed by Oklahoma Researchers
Apr 27 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...
Oklahoma Geologists Also See Earthquake-Injection Well Link
Apr 23 2015 // The Oklahoma Geological Survey said it is “very likely” that most of the state’s recent earthquakes were triggered by the subsurface injection of wastewater from oil and natural gas drilling...
Tornado Damages Dozens of Homes in Ocala
Apr 23 2015 // Authorities say a tornado touched down in an area of north Florida where dozens of homes were damaged by wind and failing trees. The Ocala Star Banner reported that no one was injured but at least a half dozen homes...
Texas Earthquake Swarm Linked to Drilling, Wastewater Injection
Apr 22 2015 // With real-time monitors, scientists have linked a swarm of small earthquakes west of Fort Worth, Texas, to nearby natural gas wells and wastewater injection. In 84 days from November 2013 to January 2014, the area around...
Earthquake Fault Puts California at Risk For Tsunami
Apr 21 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 Los Angeles...
Judge Rejects Effort to Undo California Wildfire Settlement
Apr 20 2015 // A judge has rejected a California timber company’s attempt to undo a $47 million legal settlement for a massive 2007 wildfire. Sierra Pacific Industries had accused federal prosecutors of engaging in misconduct. But...
Settlement Talks Continue in Arizona Wildfire Wrongful Death Case
Apr 20 2015 // Parties in a wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire say they need more time to discuss a settlement. Lawyers for the sides told a U.S. District Court judge on Friday that they’re working in...
Forecasters: Slow Hurricane Season Expected in 2015
Apr 20 2015 // The Atlantic hurricane season in 2015 will see fewer than the average number of storms, according to Colorado State University researchers. Philip Klotzbach and William Gray said cooler ocean temperatures and the...
Industry, Consumer Group Spokesman Express Opposition to Texas Windstorm Bill
Apr 20 2015 // It’s not often you find an area of agreement between the property/casualty insurance industry and consumer advocacy organizations, but a Texas bill addressing the state’s coastal windstorm insurance pool has...
Family Donates $1M to Louisiana Hurricane Museum
Apr 20 2015 // The National Hurricane Museum and Science Center in Lake Charles, La., has received a financial shot in the arm, with a $1 million donation by the Stream family. Gray Stream, the center’s board chairman, told the...
Pacific May Signal South Tornadoes
Apr 20 2015 // Southern states might look to the Pacific for an idea of what the future holds for tornado activity. The waters of the Pacific Ocean may provide some clues about tornadoes in the South, according to a paper in the journal...
Forecasters See Calm Hurricane Season
Apr 20 2015 // The Atlantic hurricane season in 2015 will see fewer than the average number of storms, according to Colorado State University researchers. Researchers Philip Klotzbach and William Gray said that cooler ocean temperatures...
Philippines Eyes Catastrophe Bonds to Cut Post-Typhoon Rebuilding Costs
Apr 17 2015 // The Philippines suffered $13 billion of damage when Super Typhoon Haiyan tore through the country in 2013, a year after another storm killed 1,067. Now, the nation is looking at defraying the costs of future calamities...
