Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Arkansas Tornado Count Already Twice That of Typical Year
May 12 2011 // Arkansas has seen 59 tornadoes so far this year, a number more than twice what the state sees in a typical year. There also have been 22 weather-related deaths. The warning coordination meteorologist at the National...
April Tornadoes Likely to be Alabama’s Costliest Ever Disaster
May 12 2011 // The April 27 tornado outbreak will likely end up being Alabama’s most costly natural disaster. Gov. Robert Bentley and state Insurance Commissioner Jim Ridling said the catastrophe modeling company AIR Worldwide...
Earthquakes Hit Southern Spain; At Least 8 Dead
May 12 2011 // Two earthquakes, the first measured at magnitude 4.4, and the second a much stronger tremor measured at magnitude 5.2, struck Southern Spain near the city of Lorca late Wednesday afternoon at 6:47 PM, local time. At least...
Distant Earthquakes Can Affect San Andreas Fault
May 11 2011 // Researchers examining the San Andreas Fault in central California have found evidence that distant earthquakes can trigger episodes of accelerated — but still very slow — slip motion, deep on the fault. While a...
Alabama Offices to Replace Drivers’ Licenses Lost in Tornadoes
May 11 2011 // The state Department of Public Safety is opening offices in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham to help Alabamians whose driver’s licenses and non-driver identification cards were lost in the tornadoes April 27. The offices...
P/C Insurers Cautious About Adopting New RMS Hurricane Model
May 10 2011 // Property/casualty insurers appear to be in no rush to adopt a controversial revised catastrophe model that dramatically raises certain estimates of potential hurricane losses in the country. California-based modeling firm...
EQECAT Raises Japan Quake/Tsunami Loss Estimates to $22-$39 Billion
May 10 2011 // Catastrophe modeling firm EQECAT has updated its market loss estimate of $12-$25 billion, issued on March 16, for the March 11 M9 Tohoku Earthquake. EQECAT said that, based on the latest information available, it is...
Terrorism Risks Lead Professionals to Refuse Business Trips
May 5 2011 // Growing concerns over worldwide terrorism have caused some professionals to refuse going on business trips. Half of all respondents to a new survey reported they would refuse a business trip because of concerns related to...
FEMA Defends Lack of Disaster Declaration Over Texas Wildfires
May 5 2011 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency defended its decision to refuse more assistance for Texas in the wake of devastating wildfires, saying that the state has already received sufficient U.S. government help. Gov. Rick...
Oklahoma Residents Get $1M in Federal Aid After Tornado
May 5 2011 // The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that more than $1 million in federal aid has been disbursed to Oklahomans recovering from the deadly April 14 tornado that tore through Atoka County. The Oklahoma...
Nevada Insurance Department Publishes Earthquake Insurance Guide
May 3 2011 // The Nevada Department of Insurance has published a consumer guide to earthquake insurance to encourage residents to evaluate appropriate coverage for their homes and businesses. The state is one of the most active states...
Higher Humidity Readings Aid Texas Wildfire Crews
May 3 2011 // Higher humidity readings in West Texas have given an assist to crew battling wildfires in the arid reaches of West Texas. Federal firefighting team spokeswoman Diane Steltz said no structures were lost or threatened on May...
Nearly 7,000 Insurance Claims Filed After St. Louis Tornado
May 2 2011 // Missouri insurance regulators say major homeowners and auto insurance companies in the state have received nearly 7,000 claims from St. Louis residents with damage from the April 22 (Good Friday) tornado. The companies...
Weather Service: Deadliest Year for Tornadoes in Virginia
May 2 2011 // Days after a series of tornadoes blew through Virginia, officials still are trying to determine exactly how much damage was done and what to do for those who have lost everything. Initial reports say more than 400 private...
Officials Say Oklahoma Tornado Causing Financial Woes
May 2 2011 // President Barack Obama approved a request by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin for federal disaster assistance for Atoka County following an April 14 tornado that devastated the town of Tushka. The EF3 tornado cut a swath four...
Texas Wildfires Fueled by High Winds, Drought
May 2 2011 // Firefighters continued in late April to make gradual progress containing massive, wind-whipped wildfires that raged across Texas during the month. West Texas firefighters rushed to finish controlled burns in the Ft. Davis...
Tornadoes, Storms Rip South, at Least 228 Dead
Apr 28 2011 // Tornadoes and violent storms ripped through seven southern U.S. states, killing at least 228 people as they flattened neighborhoods, flipped cars and toppled trees and power lines. In the deadliest series of tornadoes in...
Asbestos: Japan Tsunami’s other Hidden Danger
Apr 28 2011 // Inside the chunks of slate and wallboard smashed and scattered by Japan’s tsunami hides a health risk that has been overshadowed by contamination from a leaking nuclear plant: the odorless and nearly invisible threat...
Weather Forecasters Agree on Active 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Apr 27 2011 // Weather Service International [WSI] forecasters predicted an active 2011 Atlantic hurricane season Tuesday, with 15 named storms, eight of which are expected to become hurricanes. Of these, four are expected to develop...
Hail Storm Slams Abilene, Brings Some Relief to Wildfire Area
Apr 26 2011 // Baseball size hail hit Abilene, Texas, on April 24 causing property damage to vehicles, homes and businesses. Hail fell from a line of storms that passed over the southern half of the city and continued to move eastward...
