Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Unhealthy Smoke From Canadian Wildfires Blankets Upper Midwest
Jul 14 2025 // Much of the Upper Midwest on Saturday was dealing with swaths of unhealthy air because of drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires, covering the northern region of the U.S. at a time when people want to be enjoying lakes,...
Wildfire Destroyed Historic Grand Canyon Lodge After Being Allowed to Burn
Jul 14 2025 // A wildfire raging along the Grand Canyon’s North Rim that leveled a historic lodge erupted over the weekend after burning for more than a week, raising scrutiny over the National Park Service’s decision not to...
Florida Meteorologist Predicts Where the Next Hurricane Will Hit, For a Price
Jul 14 2025 // Colorado State University’s hurricane research team, perhaps the best-known and most-often quoted forecasting service, last week revised its prediction for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season downward slightly – to...
CSU Hurricane Season Forecast Adjusted to ‘Slightly’ Above Normal
Jul 11 2025 // The team of hurricane researchers at Colorado State University shaved off a storm from its original Atlantic hurricane season forecast, and now sees a “slightly” above normal season. High levels of observed...
Containment Increases on California Wildfire That Forced Evacuations
Jul 8 2025 // Firefighters are making progress on the biggest wildfire in California this year. Containment has increased on the Madre Fire to 35%. The wildfire on the central coast of California has burned 80,603 acres, prompting...
Viewpoint: State Farm’s Wildfire Claims Response Is a Test of Trust and Preparedness
Jul 8 2025 // State Farm has long positioned itself as the dependable “good neighbor” ready to help when disaster strikes. Through carefully crafted advertising, the company promotes a sense of comfort, security, and...
Wildfire Smoke Brings a Forgotten Danger to the Arctic: Black Carbon
Jul 8 2025 // In 2023, the Canada wildfires that incinerated more than 17 million hectares (42 million acres) of boreal forest were so hot they melted the paint on approaching fire trucks and smoldered underground all winter. That heat...
California Wildfire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, Forcing Evacuations
Jul 7 2025 // A wildfire on the central coast of California has grown to 84,080 acres, prompting evacuation orders and closing part of a highway. The Madre Fire, the biggest the state has seen this year, started on Wednesday and is...
Verisk: Q1 Claims Volume Hits 5-Year Low but Severity Up on Wildfire Losses
Jul 7 2025 // The first three months of 2025 brought devastating wildfires to California, significant wind and hail events to Texas, and substantial increases in tornado activity to “Tornado Alley,” but claim volume...
Wildfire Experience Inspires New Contents Claims Insurtech
Jul 7 2025 // When Michael Balarezo emerged from the basement office of his Boulder, Colorado, home in December 2021, smoke plumes from the nearby Marshall Fire were visible from his driveway. Balarezo, his wife, and daughter swiftly...
Wildfire Season Preview: Rest of 2025 Is High-Risk, May Follow LA Wildfires Paradigm
Jul 7 2025 // Following the “paradigm-shifting” Los Angeles wildfires in January, the 2024-2025 wildfire season will be remembered as a turning point for the insurance industry, and a warning that “wildfire is no...
Conquering claims chaos after natural disasters
Jul 3 2025 // This post is part of a series sponsored by Cotality. Crime thrives in chaos, making natural disasters the perfect backdrop for insurance claims fraud. When the ashes have settled after a wildfire or when hail stops falling...
NOAA Delays Cutoff of Key Satellite Data for Hurricane Forecasting
Jul 2 2025 // The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday it is delaying by one month the planned cutoff of satellite data that helps forecasters track hurricanes. Meteorologists and scientists warned of severe...
Containment Grows on Southern California Wildfire As Evacuation Orders Lifted
Jun 30 2025 // Firefighters made quick progress battling a wildfire in Southern California, which is now 25% contained after burning 485 acres in San Bernardino County and prompting evacuations. The Lake Fire erupted Saturday afternoon...
Wall Street Backs LA Wildfire Lawsuits, Chasing Billions
Jun 30 2025 // The Los Angeles wildfires have generated potentially thousands of new clients for lawyers and prospects for billions in fees. Wall Street wants in on the action, too. The chance at a piece of strong returns has encouraged...
As Hurricane Season Picks Up, Key Forecasting Tool Access Set to End
Jun 30 2025 // US National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters accurately predicted Hurricane Erick would explode in intensity as it hit Mexico’s Pacific coastline. Now, key tools that helped inform that outlook will go away by the...
Two More Insurers Enter Florida Market as Hurricane Season Warms Up
Jun 30 2025 // Two more property insurers have put their toes in the Florida market this summer, bringing to 14 the number of new carriers in the state since 2023. It’s another sign that legislative discouragement of claims...
Oregon Legislature Repeals Contested Wildfire Hazard Map
Jun 27 2025 // Oregon lawmakers have voted to repeal the state’s contentious wildfire hazard map, which subjected homeowners in certain areas at high risk of wildfires to stricter building codes and requirements to reduce...
Heat Wave Threatens Power Output and Wildfires Across Europe
Jun 26 2025 // Europe’s heat wave is intensifying, fueling wildfires across the Mediterranean and threatening to curb electricity generation from both nuclear and hydropower plants. Temperatures in Spain are forecast to hit 39C...
HEMIC to Act as a Servicing Facility for Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund
Jun 26 2025 // HEMIC Insurance Managers is accepting apartment and condominium owner associations (AOAO) applications for hurricane coverage from Hawaii licensed insurance agents. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs announced...
