Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
Tornadoes Damage Southern Iowa
Apr 15 2008 // At least two tornadoes have ripped across southern and eastern Iowa, with damage reported to a few homes and businesses. No injuries have been reported. Bill Nichols, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, says a...
Weather Service Confirms Southwest Michigan Hit by Small Tornado
Apr 11 2008 // A small tornado was to blame for damaging a barn housing some horses and knocking down trees in southwestern Michigan, according to the National Weather Service. No injuries were reported but more than 6,500 Consumers...
State of Emergency Issued for 12 Mississippi Counties after Tornadoes
Apr 11 2008 // Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency for 12 Mississippi counties Monday after a severe weather system and tornadoes hit parts of Central Mississippi, including the Jackson Metro area on April...
Hurricane Forecasters Issue April Update for 2008 Season
Apr 10 2008 // A “well above-average” Atlantic hurricane season with eight hurricanes and 15 named storms entering the basin is predicted for 2008, according to forecasters at Colorado State University’s Department of...
North Little Rock Twister Claims Tornado Siren; Damages in Millions
Apr 8 2008 // The National Weather Service released a survey of a recent tornado that went from North Little Rock, Ark., into Sherwood and damaged numerous structures at a cost of millions of dollars. Among the casualties was a tornado...
Hurricane Law Group Alleges Florida Withheld Consumers’ Mediation Options
Apr 3 2008 // The Florida-based Hurricane Law Group announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County against CFO Alex Sink, Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty, the...
