Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Massive Wildfire Devours Forests on Greek Island of Evia

Aug 11 2021 // ATHENS, Greece (AP) – A massive wildfire burning for days on the northern tip of Greece’s second largest island continued to devour forests Tuesday, its thick smoke hanging in the streets of a nearby town as...

Tropical Storm Warnings Posted in Eastern Caribbean as System Gathers Power

Aug 10 2021 // Tropical storm warnings have been posted across the eastern Caribbean as a system gathers power and takes shape southeast of Dominica, the National Hurricane Center said. With winds of 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour,...

Greek Citizens Angry With Government Over Reponse to Wildfires

Aug 10 2021 // As flames threatened to engulf the home of Stelios Kokkinelis in a suburb north of Athens at the weekend and the emergency services failed to respond to his calls for help, he decided to ignore an evacuation order and take...

Tornado in Wisconsin’s Grant County Destroys, Damages Buildings

Aug 9 2021 // Residents of Grant County, Wisconsin, are cleaning up debris after a tornado touched down near Boscobel destroying or damaging homes and farm outbuildings. Initial damage assessments by fire departments in the area...

Louisiana 2020 Hurricane Update: $10B in Claims Reported as of June 30

Aug 9 2021 // The amount of money that insurers expect to pay for the 2020 hurricanes continues to grow, albeit more slowly, as Louisiana gets further away from last year’s historic storm season. According to the Louisiana...

Wildfire Weather May Return to Northern California

Aug 9 2021 // Thick smoke that held down winds and temperatures began to clear Sunday from the scenic forestlands of Northern California as firefighters battling the largest single wildfire in state history braced for a return of...

Wildfires Rage Anew Near Athens, Forcing More Evacuations in Southern Greece

Aug 6 2021 // Wildfires rekindled outside Athens and forced more evacuations around southern Greece Thursday as weather conditions worsened and firefighters in a round-the-clock battle stopped the flames just outside the birthplace of...

Turkish Officials Accused of Using Only 2% of Forest Protection Budget Before Wildfires

Aug 6 2021 // Turkish authorities battling the country’s worst ever wildfires have been accused of failing to prepare for the threat after official data showed they spent only a fraction of the modest funds budgeted to prevent...

2 Louisiana Parishes Designated Agriculture Natural Disaster Areas

Aug 5 2021 // Farmers in two south Louisiana parishes who lost property during extreme weather in April through June may be eligible for federal aid, Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said. Physical-loss loans...

U.S. West Consumer Survey: 4-in-10 Policyholders Don’t Talk to Insurer About Wildfire Risks

Aug 5 2021 // Most residents of the wildfire-plagued Western U.S. believe in mitigation efforts, but fewer are actually taking such steps – while more than 40% have never spoken to their insurer about wildfire risk, according to a...

Wildfire Destroys Much of California Gold Rush Town

Aug 5 2021 // A wind-driven wildfire tore through a Northern California mountain town, leaving much of the downtown in ashes as crews braced for another explosive run of flames in the midst of dangerous weather. The Dixie Fire, swollen...

Forecasters Confirm Nine Tornadoes in Pennsylvania, New Jersey

Aug 5 2021 // The National Weather Service has confirmed a ninth tornado that struck during storms last week in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Forecasters said Sunday that an EF-1 tornado with peak winds up to 90 mph appeared in the...

Two Louisiana Parishes May Be Eligible for Federal Aid From Tropical Storm Damage

Aug 5 2021 // Farmers in two south Louisiana parishes who lost property during extreme weather in April through June may be eligible for federal aid, Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said...

Atlantic Hurricane Forecast Still Calls for an Above-Average Season

Aug 4 2021 // Conditions remain in line for the current Atlantic hurricane season to be an above-average one, according to the mid-season update by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. NOAA says there is a 65% likelihood that the...

Michigan Counties Ask State for Funds After Tornado Damage

Aug 2 2021 // Two Michigan counties are asking the state to help make funds available for residents and businesses affected by recent tornados that damaged buildings, knocked down trees and caused power outages. Macomb County Executive...

4 Tornadoes Confirmed in Wisconsin

Aug 2 2021 // The National Weather Service has confirmed at least four tornadoes caused widespread damage in Wisconsin and contributed to at least one death. Quinn Boehning, 29, was killed after crashing into a fallen tree and power...

Eight Tornadoes Confirmed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania During Storms

Aug 2 2021 // The National Weather Service has confirmed eight tornadoes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey during Thursday’s storm, including the EF-3 storm in eastern Pennsylvania and an EF-2 tornado that started in the Keystone...

First Half 2021 Natural Disaster Insured Losses Reach 10-Year High

Aug 2 2021 // Insured losses from natural disasters hit a 10-year high of $42 billion in the first half of 2021, with the biggest loss related to extreme cold in the United States in February, insurance broker Aon said on July...

PG&E in California Will Pay to Bury Power Lines to Prevent Wildfires

Aug 2 2021 // California power company Pacific Gas and Electric said on it would bury 10,000 miles of power lines in high-risk fire zones as a safety measure after its equipment caused multiple destructive wildfires over several...

Alaska Quake Triggers Prolonged Shaking, Small Tsunami

Jul 30 2021 // A powerful earthquake which struck just off Alaska’s southern coast caused prolonged shaking and prompted tsunami warnings that sent people scrambling for shelters. Residents reported only minor damage, but officials...