Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
FM Global: Companies Exposed but Underprepared for Natural Disasters
Aug 8 2008 // Most of the largest corporations in North America are exposed to natural disasters, but many are not well-prepared for such catastrophes and are not overly concerned about the potential business impact, according to a new...
Colorado Climatologist Raises Hurricane Forecast
Aug 8 2008 // Noted hurricane researcher William Gray, a former Colorado State University climatologist, has revised his Atlantic forecast upward and now calls for a total of nine hurricanes this season — an increase of one. Gray...
RMS unveils New UK Inland Flood Model, EU Earthquake Model
Aug 8 2008 // UK Flood Model Risk Management Solutions has released a major new upgrade to its U.K. Inland Flood Model. “The upgraded model will enable all segments of the insurance industry to drill down to a finer level of...
Update: Eastern North Carolina Wildfire Nearly out; Firefighters Leave
Aug 7 2008 // A wildfire that has burned more than 62 square miles of eastern North Carolina forests and fields is nearly extinguished and firefighters are wrapping up operations, a spokesman said Aug. 5. Fire managers have sent scores...
350,000 Floridians Need to Reapply for Hurricane Insurance
Aug 7 2008 // The state-created corporation that’s become Florida’s largest property insurer says about 350,000 wind-only policyholders will have to reapply for coverage over a yearlong period that begins in February. The...
3 Dead as Tornado Hits France
Aug 6 2008 // A fierce but short-lived tornado has left at least three people dead in northern France. Inhabitants of four regions are assessing the damage after the tornado collapsed some homes and uprooted trees along its path. The...
Damage From Tropical Storm Edouard Minimal
Aug 6 2008 // Tropical Storm Edouard hit the Texas Gulf coast east of Galveston Aug. 5 with strong winds and heavy rain, but did little more than soak the travelers who came to relax on the tourist town’s beaches. The National...
Tropical Storm Edouard Heads for Texas/Louisiana Coast
Aug 4 2008 // A swiftly developing Tropical Storm Edouard is expected to make landfall very near the upper Texas coast or the coast of southwestern Louisiana by Tuesday, Aug. 5, the National Hurricane Center reported. As of Monday...
Only 4 Homes Insured in North Dakota Area Hit by Tornado
Aug 4 2008 // The number of homes found damaged or destroyed in tornado-ravaged Rolette County in North Dakota continues to rise. The state Department of Emergency Services says 12 homes have been destroyed and 18 have been damaged in...
Damage Costs from Hurricane Dolly May Reach $750M
Aug 4 2008 // Catastrophe risk specialist RMS says the insurance bill for damage from Hurricane Dolly, which hit Southwest Texas on July 23, may go as high as $750 million, while Boston-based AIR World-wide estimates damages between...
Wildfires Rekindle Need for Private Fire Protection Efforts
Aug 4 2008 // As wildfires seemingly increase in frequency and severity of insured losses year after year, insurers are devising fire prevention methods to protect their client’s properties — including hiring private...
Tennessee Utility, College Get Federal Relief for Tornado Damage
Jul 30 2008 // The federal government approved $5.7 million in disaster assistance funding for two Tennessee institutions that suffered tornado damage, Gov. Phil Bredesen said. These grants are part of the federal Public Assistance...
State’s Building Code Helps Minimize Losses from California Earthquake
Jul 30 2008 // The moderate earthquake that struck Los Angeles late Tuesday (July 29) morning at 11:42am PDT has not caused major damage or serious injury, according to early eyewitness reports and the Los Angeles Fire Department. Based...
Calif. Earthquake Authority Prepared to Handle Claims; Expects Minor Damage
Jul 30 2008 // Only 12 percent of California homeowners currently own earthquake insurance policies, potentially leaving millions of Californians financially unprotected in the event of a catastrophic quake. Of the 12 percent of...
Californians Told to Expect Aftershocks Following Earthquake
Jul 30 2008 // Federal officials said they will continue to monitor and coordinate with California agencies regarding Tuesday’s 5.4 magnitude earthquake that struck just south of downtown Los Angeles. The Federal Emergency...
AIR Estimates Taiwan Typhoon Insured Losses under $100 Million
Jul 30 2008 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide has issued a bulletin indicating that insured losses in Taiwan from Typhoon Fung-Wong are unlikely to exceed $100 Million. Dr. Peter Sousounis, senior research scientist at AIR...
Hartford Insurance Results Dip in Q2 Due in Part to Tornado Claims
Jul 29 2008 // Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.’s earnings fell in the second quarter, hurt by claims from tornado damage. Operating earnings fell 9 percent to $696 million. Net income for the second quarter was down 13...
Damages from Hurricane Dolly May Reach $750 Million
Jul 28 2008 // Catastrophe risk specialist RMS says the insurance bill for damage from Hurricane Dolly, which hit Southwest Texas on July 23, may go as high as $750 million, while Boston-based AIR Worldwide estimates damages to come in...
New Hampshire Insurance Dept: Track Tornado Tree Damage
Jul 28 2008 // New Hampshire residents facing downed trees on their houses or in their yards from Thursday’s tornado could face some hefty bills. A typical homeowner’s insurance policy in New Hampshire covers only $1,000 for...
Calif. Wildfire Forces Evacuations West of Yosemite National Park
Jul 28 2008 // A fast-spreading fire burning near an entrance to Yosemite National Park near Midpines, Calif., forced the evacuations of 170 homes on Sunday and caused officials to cut power to the park. The fire grew from about 1.5...
