Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Firefighters Warn of Continued Wildfire Threat in California
Nov 8 2007 // Rapid development in wildfire-prone areas and continued bone-dry weather have alarmed California firefighters, who began a sweeping assessment of fire danger this week and what’s needed to meet it. Catastrophic...
Fireman’s Fund Offers to Rebuild Wildfire Homes “Green”
Nov 7 2007 // In response to the Southern California wildfires that burned in late October, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. is responding with an innovative green upgrade for affected policyholders. The company said it will rebuild...
La. Dept. of Labor Gets $10.5 Million to Help with Hurricane Recovery
Nov 6 2007 // The Louisiana Department of Labor has received a $10.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to assist 3,500 citizens in hurricane-affected parishes, the agency reported. LDOL requested the National Emergency...
Weekend’s Hurricane Noel Spares Northeast Coast Serious Damage
Nov 5 2007 // High wind and heavy surf hit parts of the Northeast U.S. coast as the remnants of Hurricane Noel blustered northeastward across the open Atlantic. The wind and rain caused some coastal flooding, brought down tree limbs and...
State Audit: Texas Slow in Delivering Federal Aid to Hurricane Victims
Nov 5 2007 // Texas has used only 2 percent of more than $500 million in federal aid for homeowners and communities hit by Hurricane Rita more than two years ago, a state audit found. State Auditor John Keel found that more than 4,000...
Lloyd’s Holds Conference on Terrorist Threats in New York
Nov 5 2007 // Threats from terrorists have become a subject nobody can ignore – least of all the insurance industry. To meet those threats requires knowing who the terrorists are and how they operate. Lloyd’s recent seminar...
Wildfire Woes
Nov 4 2007 // When catastrophes strike, the insurance industry often suffers. In addition to suffering financial losses from having to manage claims, those in the industry also seem to suffer in the public’s eye. Mainstream media...
Climate Change May Increase Wildfires in Great Basin
Nov 4 2007 // Climate change is likely to increase the number of wildfires fueled by invasive weeds that are spreading throughout the Great Basin, researchers recently told a U.S. Senate subcommittee. Researchers described a potential...
Five Tips in Dealing with Wildfire Losses
Nov 4 2007 // Here we go again: another disaster, another insurance test. Will Southern Californians whose homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged by wildfires fare better with their insurance providers than Katrina’s...
Major California Wildfires
Nov 4 2007 // Oakland Hills Oct. 1991 2,900 $1.7 billion Cedar Fire Oct. 2003 2,200 $1.06 billion Old Fire Oct. 2003 1,100 $975 million Laguna Oct. 1993 441 $350 million Topanga-Malibu Nov. 1993 323 $375 million Santa Barbara June...
Hurricane Noel, Season’s Deadliest Storm, Moving up East Coast
Nov 2 2007 // U.S. forecasters have issued an advisory for Noel, now a Category 1 hurricane and this season’s most dangerous storm, which is moving northward between the southeastern U.S. and Bermuda and growing in size. The...
5.6 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes San Jose Area
Oct 31 2007 // An magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area last night, around 8 p.m., about 9 miles northeast of San Jose, according to the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program. Ten aftershocks were felt,...
Calif. Wildfire Claims Up To About 14,000
Oct 31 2007 // Roughly 14,000 insurance claims have been filed as a result of last week’s fire and wind storms, according to the Insurance Information Network of California. Working in partnership with the Insurance Information...
Tropical Storm Noel Lashes Caribbean
Oct 30 2007 // Noel, a late season tropical storm, has caused extensive damage in the Dominican Republic and threatens greater havoc in Haiti. The two countries, who share the island of Hispaniola, have been hit with high winds and...
Guy Carp Partners with WSI Corp. to Assess U.S. Hurricane Risks
Oct 30 2007 // Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, Marsh & McLennan’s global risk and reinsurance unit, has announced a collaboration with WSI Corporation, a provider of weather-driven business solutions, to “help cedants...
Avocado Crops Hard Hit by Wildfires
Oct 30 2007 // Wind-driven wildfires that torched Southern California have charred fruit orchards, wilted flowers and littered the ground with avocados, delivering a devastating blow to area farmers already reeling from a deep winter...
Ky. Tornadoes Render Owensboro’s Oldest Bar Unsalvageable
Oct 29 2007 // An Owensboro, Ky., bar that dates back to the end of Prohibition is being torn down after tornadoes that were part of storms that swept through western Kentucky caused irreparable damage to the structure. Martin’s...
House Leader: 120-Day Extension for Federal Terrorism Insurance Possible
Oct 29 2007 // A key House leader says he will push for a 120-day extension of the federal terrorism reinsurance program that expires at year’s end rather than simply accept the Senate bill that is narrower in scope than the House...
Analyst: Wildfire Losses Estimated To Be At Least $1.5 Billion
Oct 29 2007 // Using the latest information on current and forecast fire perimeters and observed wind speeds, catastrophe risk modeling company AIR Worldwide Corp. estimates insured losses from California wildfires will be at least 1.5...
S.C. chief urges hurricane damage formula – before storms hit
Oct 27 2007 // News Currents South Carolina Insurance Director Scott Richardson is proposing a loss-allocation method that he hopes will alleviate any confusion between water damage and wind damage the next time a hurricane reduces...
