Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Western Nebraska Wildfire Forces Evacuations, Destroys Homes
Aug 3 2022 // A wildfire that has forced evacuations and destroyed some homes in the Nebraska Panhandle grew to about 25000 square miles (64749.77 square kilometers) Monday, but firefighters were managing to limit the spread of the...
California Commissioner Orders Cancellation Moratorium for Wildfires
Aug 2 2022 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara this week ordered insurers to preserve residential insurance coverage for the county of Mariposa following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s emergency declaration. Lara’s order...
2 Bodies Found Inside Vehicle in Path of Big California Wildfire
Aug 2 2022 // Authorities said two bodies were found inside a burned vehicle in the path of a raging Northern California wildfire that is one of several major blazes burning across the U.S. West amid hot, dry, gusty conditions. The...
California Seeing Largest Wildfire of 2022 at 80 Square Miles
Aug 1 2022 // A wildfire in Northern California was burning out of control on Monday amid exacerbating conditions that pose the dangers of thunderstorms, and hot, windy conditions. The McKinney Fire grew rapidly to more than 80 square...
Western U.S. Wildfires Explode in Size Amid Hot, Windy Conditions
Aug 1 2022 // Wildfires in California and Montana exploded in size overnight amid windy, hot conditions and were quickly encroaching on neighborhoods, forcing evacuation orders for over 100 homes Saturday, while an Idaho blaze was...
Global Natural Disasters Cost Insurers $34 Billion in H1 2022: Munich Re
Jul 28 2022 // Global natural disasters during the first half of 2022 cost insurers about US$34 billion, which covered a little more than half of the overall $65 billion in losses from floods, earthquakes, and storms during the first six...
Reinsurer SCOR Reports H1 Loss of €239M Blamed on Ukraine War, Natural Disasters
Jul 28 2022 // Reinsurer SCOR reported a first half loss attributed to the war in Ukraine, natural catastrophes and the severe drought in Brazil. The H1 loss of €239 million (US$242.6 million), compares with net income of €380...
Natural Disasters Cost Insurers $39B During H1 2022, 18% More Than Average: Aon
Jul 27 2022 // Insured losses from global natural disaster events were estimated at $39 billion during the first half of 2022, 18% higher than the 21st century average of $33 billion, driven by persistent severe convective storm (SCS)...
Alaska Experiencing Wildfires It’s Never Seen Before
Jul 26 2022 // Alaska is burning this year in ways rarely or ever seen, from the largest wildfire in a typically mainly fireproof southwest region to a pair of blazes that ripped through forests and produced smoke that blew hundreds of...
Record Temperatures, Wildfires Wreak Havoc on Europe’s Wineries and Vineyards
Jul 26 2022 // In Portugal’s Douro Valley on July 7, a wildfire burned close to Oscar Quevedo’s Quinta da Alegria vineyard. By the middle of the night, flames surrounded it. The vines around the edges, amounting to about a...
Crews Protect Homes as California Wildfire Burns Near Yosemite
Jul 25 2022 // A destructive wildfire near Yosemite National Park burned out of control through tinder-dry forest on Sunday and had grown into one of California’s biggest blazes of the year, forcing thousands of residents to flee...
Four Years After Hurricane Michael, Florida City Rebuilding, Recovering
Jul 25 2022 // MEXICO BEACH, Fla. — Standing on the deck of the new Driftwood Inn, 31/2 years after Hurricane Michael obliterated the old one, Tom Wood spoke of the months after the storm. One of his daughters had urged him and his...
Illinois Tornado Snaps Trees, Damages Roofs
Jul 25 2022 // The National Weather Service has confirmed that a small tornado touched down in suburban Chicago Saturday. Snapped trees and minor damage to roofs in Naperville were reported Saturday, meteorologist Todd Kluber said. The...
Europe Wildfire Damage Jumps 75%; Models Need More Development: Chaucer
Jul 22 2022 // Damage from large wildfires in Europe has jumped dramatically, with a 75% increase in the amount of land burned in the latest year, according to analysis by Chaucer, the specialty re/insurer, which warns that modeling for...
Wildfire Burning in Southwest South Dakota 40% Contained
Jul 22 2022 // A wildfire that started earlier this week west of Oglala, South Dakota has burned about 11 square miles and is 40% contained, according to officials. The fire began near Prairie Wind Casino on Tuesday evening and moved...
Evacuation Order for Alaska Wildfire Lifted Near Anderson
Jul 22 2022 // An evacuation order for about 65 residents of a subdivision near the community of Anderson has been lifted, Denali Borough Mayor Clay Walker said. The evacuation order went into place June 28 because of the Clear wildfire...
How Climate Change Drives Heatwaves and Wildfires
Jul 21 2022 // Brutal heatwaves are gripping both Europe and the United States this week and are forecast to dump searing heat on much of China into late August. In addition to temperatures spiking above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit),...
Wildfire Burns Homes Around North Texas Lake
Jul 20 2022 // A wildfire has burned several homes and prompted calls for voluntary evacuations around a lake in north Texas amid sweltering temperatures and dry conditions, authorities said. The fire at Possum Kingdom Lake about 95...
Update: Climate Change Alarm Sounded as Wildfires Rage Across Europe
Jul 20 2022 // Emergency services battled wildfires across swathes of southern Europe amid mass evacuations on Wednesday, as warnings sounded in London after Britain’s hottest day that the fight against climate change needed to be...
Actuarial Committee Recommends No Change in Texas Windstorm Insurance Rates
Jul 19 2022 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association’s Actuarial & Underwriting Committee recommended to the board of directors that there should be no change in residential or commercial insurance rates. The Actuarial...
