Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Aftershocks of Midwest Earthquake Expected for Weeks to Come
Apr 28 2008 // Geologists who gathered a week after a 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook the Midwest said they expect mild aftershocks to rattle the region for several weeks. The latest aftershock, a 3.7 magnitude temblor, was felt in...
Earthquakes Shake Reno, Nevada
Apr 25 2008 // Two moderate earthquakes shook the Mogul-Somerset area just west of Reno, Nev., on April 24, 2008, according to the Nevada Seismological Laboratory. While there were no immediate reports of damage, the Laboratory predicts...
Mississippi Attorney Wants Hurricane Katrina Litigator Sanctioned
Apr 25 2008 // An attorney wants sanctions against Mississippi tort lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs over alleged misconduct in a legal battle over millions of dollars in attorneys fees. Investigators have been looking into...
Earthquake Raises Questions about Coverage, Construction Codes
Apr 25 2008 // Two weeks after a 5.2 level earthquake rocked the Midwest from Cairo to Atlanta, geologists and the industry are still discussing the impact of the quake–such as increases in the purchase of earthquake...
West and North Texas Cleaning up After Violent Storms, Tornadoes
Apr 25 2008 // Violent thunderstorms produced tornadoes, large hail and heavy rains over west and north Texas on April 23 causing a considerable amount of damage. The worst losses appear to have occurred where the storm clouds began...
Fewer Tennessee Wildfires as Season Winds Down
Apr 25 2008 // As the wildfire season winds down in Tennessee, officials say it has been much less active than last year’s. Forestry Division assistant district forester Nathan Waters said by the week ending April 19, about 9,000...
Midwest Earthquake Spurs Renewed Interest in Purchasing Insurance
Apr 23 2008 // Eastern Missouri residents are scrambling to get earthquake insurance after last week’s 5.2 magnitude trembler rattled windows and shook houses. But they are finding out there’s a waiting period for coverage,...
Survey: Majority of October’s California Wildfire Claims Settled
Apr 23 2008 // A new survey of insurance companies estimates that nearly 90 percent of claims stemming from the devastating October 2007 fire and wind storms in California have been settled. A poll by the Insurance Information Network of...
Insurers to Build Research Center for Natural Disaster Property Losses
Apr 22 2008 // A new state-of-the-art applied research facility will use science and technology to expand capabilities to create more durable homes and businesses and reduce the human, financial and societal costs of natural...
Scientists Say Midwest Earthquakes Poorly Understood
Apr 22 2008 // Scientists say they know far too little about Midwestern seismic zones like the one that rumbled to life under southern Illinois Friday (April 18) morning, but some of what they do know is unnerving. The fault zones...
USGS: Earthquakes Serious Threat in 46 States, Ups Risks in Washington, Oregon
Apr 22 2008 // Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have updated the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps, and noted that earthquakes remain a serious threat in 46 of the United States. For some areas such as western Oregon and...
San Francisco Hosts 100th Earthquake Conference, Predicts What If Scenarios
Apr 18 2008 // More than 2,500 delegates from around the world gathered in commemoration of San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake at the 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference — the largest earthquake conference ever held —...
Typhoon Neoguri Nears China
Apr 18 2008 // Weather forecasters in China warned that Typhoon Neoguri could hit southern Hainan Island as early as this afternoon, Friday April 18. China’s meteorological observatory said Thursday that strong winds and rain will...
Earthquake Rocks Illinois; Causes Minor Damage in Several States
Apr 18 2008 // An earthquake that measured 5.2 on the Richter Scale rocked buildings in Chicago and damaged roads in Ohio and Kentucky. The quake hit Friday morning at 4:37 a.m. The epicenter was in the town of West Salem, Ill., which is...
Mississippi Insurance Commissioner: Check Policy for Earthquake Coverage
Apr 18 2008 // The earthquake that struck the Midwest today should serve as a reminder to many Mississippians that they too are at risk for earthquake damage. Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney urges all Mississippians to...
Utah To Examine Earthquake Vulnerabilities
Apr 17 2008 // A Utah advisory panel is planning on developing a priority list for assessing state buildings that might be vulnerable in an earthquake. The Utah Seismic Safety Commission plans on finding out what seismic assessments have...
Lloyd’s Braces for U.S. Hurricanes
Apr 17 2008 // Lloyd’s insurers with exposures on the US East Coast have been told to brace themselves for an above average storm season, with as many as eight hurricanes tearing through the Atlantic. In an article on its web site...
Texas Windstorm Pool Seeks to Increase Reinsurance Level for 2008
Apr 17 2008 // Citing increased exposure along the Texas coast, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has requested Commissioner of Insurance Mike Geeslin to authorize the purchase of $1.5 billion in reinsurance for the windstorm...
Lloyd’s Analyzes Europe’s Windstorms
Apr 16 2008 // “Winter storms in Europe are like London buses,” says an article on the Lloyd’s web site (www.lloyds.com) – “You don’t see any for a while and then along come two or three, one behind...
California Earthquake Authority To Use New Science in Determining Rates
Apr 16 2008 // The California Earthquake Authority (CEA) announced today it will begin using a newly released, uniform scientific method in determining insurance rates and the most accurate prices for consumers. Partially funded by the...
