Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Coming Hurricane Season Could Complicate Gulf Oil Spill Disaster
May 18 2010 // BP’s oil spill could make for one of the highest-stakes U.S. Gulf hurricane seasons on record. Storms may scuttle clean-up efforts, force containment vessels to retreat, or propel spilled crude and tar balls over...
Property Insurers Watching Ominous Hurricane Forecasts
May 17 2010 // After significant catastrophe losses in first quarter 2010, U.S. property/casualty insurers and global reinsurers are hoping their balance sheets don’t face further financial risks, even as conditions appear ripe for...
Florida Insurers Head Into Hurricane Season with Fingers Crossed
May 14 2010 // Florida’s property insurance companies haven’t suffered hurricane losses for nearly five years, but many claim to be losing money even while collecting hefty premiums. It’s a complex paradigm for almost...
Survivors Can’t Forget Fierce Hurricane That Hit Florida in 1935
May 14 2010 // The seven elderly guests on stage at Island Christian Church were just kids 75 years ago when a Category 5 hurricane barreled into their homes in the Upper Florida Keys, leaving a trail of destruction and death. A packed...
Louisiana Sales Tax Holiday for Hurricane Supplies: May 29-30
May 13 2010 // Hurricane season is fast approaching and the state of Louisiana wants to help residents prepare. On May 29 and 30, Louisianans can get a tax break when buying emergency supplies, including self-powered light sources like...
Florida Hurricane Funds Seeks $693 Million for Reopened 2005 Claims
May 12 2010 // The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund is to begin selling $693 million in tax-exempt bonds to help repay insurers for new and reopened claims from 2005 storms. The bonds are secured in part by emergency assessments levied...
Northwest Faces Increased Wildfire Risk in 2010
May 12 2010 // El Nino weather patterns and a relatively mild winter left Idaho, eastern Washington and south central Oregon drier than normal and vulnerable to wildfire, accoridng to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In...
Tornado Shelter Legislation Killed in Oklahoma Senate
May 12 2010 // The Oklahoma Senate has killed a bill that would have required owners of mobile and RV parks to provide tenants with a plan to seek shelter. The bill’s author, State Rep. Pat Ownbey, praised a mobile home park south...
5 Thought Dead in Oklahoma, Dozens Injured as Tornadoes Hit Plains
May 12 2010 // Violent storms that tore through the southern Plains on May 10 killed five people and injured dozens more, leaving behind flattened homes, toppled semitrailers and downed power lines. Several tornadoes were reported in...
ABI Advises Travelers After Latest Volcano Ash Cloud Disrupts Flights
May 10 2010 // Heightened eruptions from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano caused periodic closures of a number of European airports, as flights were cancelled, delayed or rerouted. Transatlantic air traffic between Europe and the...
Busy Wildfire Season Predicted for Wyoming
May 7 2010 // National fire officials say northwest Wyoming could see more wildfires this summer after a season of light snowfall. The National Interagency Fire Center said the light winter in the region means drier fuels in the summer...
Gulf Coast Oil Spill Compared to Category 5 Hurricane
May 4 2010 // What makes an oil spill really bad? Most of the ingredients for it are now blending in the Gulf of Mexico. Experts tick off the essentials: A relentless flow of oil from under the sea; a type of crude that mixes easily...
California Earthquake Fault Activity Map Shows 50 Additional Fault Lines
May 3 2010 // California geology officials have released an updated state seismic activity map that they hope will improve earthquake preparedness and construction decisions.The map, which had not been updated since 1994, includes more...
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...
