Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Is It Time to Consider Earthquake Insurance?
Aug 25 2011 // Earthquakes and California go together. Or at least that’s what most of the country thought until Tuesday’s East Coast earthquake centered in Virginia. Reports of the earth moving were widespread, coming from...
Hurricane Irene Batters Bahamas, Threatens Carolinas, Northeast
Aug 25 2011 // Hurricane Irene washed away homes in the Bahamas Thursday as its battering winds and rain headed toward the U.S. eastern seaboard including densely populated New York and New England. U.S. emergency officials have urged...
Earthquake Hits Rural Colorado, Too
Aug 24 2011 // Virginia’s earthquake isn’t the only notable temblor to hit the United States this week. On Monday the largest earthquake to strike Colorado in almost 40 years shook hundreds of people in the southern part of...
North, South Carolina Coastal Insurance Plans Ready for Hurricane Irene
Aug 24 2011 // Caught square in the path of Irene, the first major hurricane of the season, the coastal insurance plans in North and South Carolina are prepared to absorb what may be their first major losses in years. Both plans appear...
Earthquake Tested Safety of East Coast’s Nuclear Plants
Aug 24 2011 // The largest earthquake to hit the East Coast of the United States in 67 years raised concerns on Tuesday about the safety of the country’s nuclear power plants. The 5.8 magnitude quake’s epicenter was just a...
East Coast’s Once-a-Century Earthquake Causes Minor Damage
Aug 24 2011 // A strong earthquake rattled the U.S. East Coast Tuesday, sending tremors as far as Canada, damaging well-known buildings in the nation’s capital and sending scared office workers into the streets. There were no...
IIABNY Issues Timely Warning on Earthquake Insurance Coverage
Aug 24 2011 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York has issued a timely warning in the wake of the earthquake that struck the east coast yesterday afternoon, which affected many New York residents. The IIABNY...
Recap of Forecasts for 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Aug 24 2011 // Private forecaster Weather Services International (WSI) Tuesday increased to 18 from 15 the number of named storms it predicted for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season. WSI said it still predicted 8 hurricanes, four of...
East Coast Earthquake Losses Less Than $100 Million: Eqecat
Aug 23 2011 // The earthquake that struck Virginia and rattled the Eastern United States Tuesday caused less than $100 million in insured losses, catastrophe modeling company Eqecat said. Eqecat said the relatively weak nature of the...
Entire East Coast Placed on Hurricane Alert
Aug 23 2011 // The United States put its eastern seaboard on alert for Hurricane Irene Tuesday, as the powerful storm barreled up from the Caribbean on a path that could hit the U.S. coast on the weekend. Even as the first hurricane of...
Earthquake Rattles East Coast; No Deaths or Major Damage Reported
Aug 23 2011 // A strong earthquake struck the U.S. East Coast and was felt as far away as Canada on Tuesday, shaking buildings in many cities, delaying flights and trains and sending thousands of frightened workers into the...
Hurricane Irene Seen Skirting Florida, Possibly Landing in Carolinas
Aug 23 2011 // Hurricane Irene was expected to strengthen over the next few days and could hit the southeastern United States as a large and powerful storm late in the week, forecasters said Tuesday. The U.S. National Hurricane...
Hurricanes May Be Catalyst for Insurance Rate Increases
Aug 23 2011 // Hurricane Irene, threatening to become the first hurricane to hit the United States in three years, could be the catalyst the insurance industry has been seeking in its quest for across-the-board premium increases after...
ACE Expands Terrorism, Political Violence Team; Biggas is New Underwriter
Aug 23 2011 // ACE announced from its London office that it has appointed Marie Biggas to the position of underwriter for terrorism and political risks for ACE Overseas General (AOG). She joins ACE from the Chaucer Syndicate, and will...
Hurricane Irene Soaks Puerto Rico, Could Hit Florida By Week’s End
Aug 22 2011 // Hurricane Irene buffeted Puerto Rico with winds and torrential rain Monday, knocking out power and downing trees as it churned westward on a track that will threaten Florida by the end of the week. Local media in the U.S....
Tornado Causes Some Damage in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Aug 22 2011 // The first tornado to touch down on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula this year caused some property damage in Ontonagon, but no reported injuries. The twister touched down Friday at a recreational vehicle park and...
Hurricane Irene – 1st of the Season – Could Hit Miami
Aug 22 2011 // Tropical Storm Irene strengthened into a hurricane as it came ashore over Puerto Rico, reaching category 1, according to the most recent bulletin, released at 5:00 AM AST, from the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The...
EQECAT Models $260 Mn Windstorm Risk Cat Bond for French Nat’l Power Co.
Aug 15 2011 // Oakland-based catastrophe modeling firm EQECAT has provided risk modeling services to Electricité Réseau Distribution France S.A. (ERDF) for the issuance of a €150 million [$216 million] catastrophe bond transferring...
Tropical Storm Gert Strengthens, Will Brush Bermuda
Aug 15 2011 // Tropical Storm Gert strengthened slowly Sunday on a track toward Bermuda and forecasters said the global reinsurance hub could expect increased winds, rain and surf when the storm passed on its eastern side. Gert, the...
Florida’s Citizens Has Sweet Plan to Cover Hurricane Losses
Aug 15 2011 // Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Insurance Journal’s Satire Issue, August 15, 2011. The content in this issue is not real and is not to be taken seriously. It’s supposed to be humorous....
