Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Who’s In the Path of 2010 Hurricane Season?
May 3 2010 // The North Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts through November 30. Facts from the U.S. Census Bureau highlight the number of people living in areas that could be most affected by these dramatic acts of...
Tornadoes in Mississippi Take 10 Lives; 700 Homes, Many Uninsured, Destroyed
Apr 27 2010 // Tornadoes that killed 10 people in Mississippi destroyed at least 700 homes and did tens of millions of dollars in damage, state authorities said Monday. Homeowners and local authorities began a clean-up operation in some...
Windstorm Claims Adding Up in Texas After Weekend Storms
Apr 27 2010 // Violent thunderstorms packing winds up to 90 miles per hour struck a six-county area southeast of Dallas early on April 24 causing thousands of windstorm claims, the Insurance Council of Texas reports. One fatality...
Zurich Estimates Chile Earthquake-related Losses at $200 Million
Apr 26 2010 // Zurich Financial Services announced that, based on preliminary estimates, it expects aggregate claims payments related to the earthquake in Chile of approximately $200 million before tax. Zurich added that the estimate is...
Tornadoes Rip Southern States; 10 Dead; 1,000 Homes Destroyed
Apr 26 2010 // Dozens of tornadoes left a path of destruction more than 50 miles long throughout the southern U.S.—including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee—over the weekend. Ten people were...
European Insurers Expect Little Hit from Volcano Fallout
Apr 16 2010 // Airlines which stand to lose millions of euros from a cloud of Icelandic volcanic ash disrupting flights and closing airports across northern Europe are expected to have little recourse to recoup losses from insurance...
San Francisco Voters Urged to Pass $412M Earthquake Bond Measure
Apr 15 2010 // The mayor and other San Francisco officials are urging residents to approve a $412 million bond measure on the June ballot to help prepare for the next major earthquake. The measure would allocate $104 million to reinforce...
Louisiana Hurricane Researcher and Corps Critic Fails to Win Job Back
Apr 15 2010 // A federal judge refused to immediately reinstate Louisiana State University hurricane and coastal researcher Ivor van Heerden, who was stripped of most of his duties last year. Van Heerden claims he is losing his job...
Italy’s Mt. Vesuvius Ranked as Europe’s Most Dangerous Volcano
Apr 15 2010 // A major eruption of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius could result in 8,000 fatalities, 13,000 serious injuries and total economic losses of more than $24 billion, says a new study. According to the Willis Research Network...
Icelandic Volcano Eruption Intensifies; Airline Travel No-Go
Apr 15 2010 // A volcanic eruption in Iceland, which has thrown up a 6-km (3.7 mile) high plume of ash and disrupted air traffic across northern Europe, has grown more intense, an expert said on Thursday. The eruption under the...
Death Toll from Southwestern China Earthquake Now at 300
Apr 14 2010 // The death toll from an earthquake in the mountainous Tibetan plateau in southwestern China has reached about 300, with more than 8,000 injured, state television reported on Wednesday, quoting a government official.
Minor Earthquake Reported in Southwest Virginia
Apr 14 2010 // There are no reports of damage from a minor earthquake that struck Southwest Virginia. The National Geological Survey’s Web site says the 2.5-magnitude temblor struck at 12:12 a.m. Tuesday. The epicenter was 8 miles...
Arkansas, Oklahoma Record Minor Earthquakes
Apr 12 2010 // The U.S. Geological Survey has recorded another earthquake in central Oklahoma, and an additional one in central Arkansas as well. A 3.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 7:42 a.m. April 8 about two miles southwest of...
Forecasters Predict Above-Average Hurricane Season in 2010
Apr 8 2010 // The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season will produce an above-average eight hurricanes, four of them major, posing a heightened threat to the U.S. coastline, the Colorado State University hurricane forecasting team predicted...
7.8 Earthquake Rocks Indonesian Island of Sumatra
Apr 7 2010 // A major earthquake of 7.8 magnitude shook the northwestern coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Tuesday. A local tsunami watch was in effect for Indonesia, the Pacific Tsunami...
Experts Estimate $300 Million in Losses from Mexico Earthquake
Apr 6 2010 // Damage estimates from Sunday’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Mexico, just south of California, are not expected to exceed $1 billion, and insured losses should not exceed $300 million, according to risk modeling firm...
National Hurricane Center Considers Issuing Storm Surge Warning
Apr 1 2010 // The National Hurricane Center is considering adding a storm-surge warning to its list of watches and warnings issued during hurricane season. Center officials floated the idea of a storm-surge warning to a crowd of...
Terrorism Insurance Market in State of Uncertainty
Mar 30 2010 // The threat of terrorism in the U.S. is rising but the future of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) is in question. At a time when top U.S. officials warn of an imminent attack that might be hard to prevent, the...
Catlin Estimates Impact of Chilean Quake, Windstorm Xynthia
Mar 25 2010 // The Bermuda-based Catlin Group Limited has given preliminary estimates of the financial impact of the Chilean earthquake – around $140 million – and Windstorm Xynthia – less than $10 million. Catlin noted...
California Earthquake Authority Supports Federal Catastrophe Insurance Bill
Mar 22 2010 // The Homeowners Defense Act (H.R. 2555), a bill that would provide a federal backup for states with catastrophe insurance funds, would reduce California earthquake insurance premiums by about 35 percent, according to...
