Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
2020 Hurricane Insurance Claims Up to $7.7B in Louisiana
Feb 8 2021 // Through the end of 2020 property/casualty insurers paid out or reserved $7.7 billion On claims of all types resulting from Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta in Louisiana, the state insurance department reported. The...
Northern Oklahoma Rattled by Small Earthquakes
Feb 7 2021 // A series of small earthquakes believed by seismologists to be caused by the underground injection of wastewater from oil and gas production continued to rattle northern Oklahoma on Feb. 6. Four quakes occurred Saturday...
National Fire Protection Association, State Farm Funding Wildfire Preparedness
Feb 4 2021 // The National Fire Protection Association and State Farm have kicked off a funding awards application period for the eighth national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 1, which helps communities prepare...
Drought, Wildfire Threat Lead to Disaster Declaration in Texas
Feb 3 2021 // Saying exceptional drought conditions pose a wildfire threat in a large swath of West and Southwest Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for counties in those areas of the state. Abbott said drought...
Argo’s Q4 2020 Losses from Natural Disasters and COVID-19 Estimated at $51M
Feb 3 2021 // Argo Group International Holdings Ltd. estimates losses from fourth quarter 2020 natural catastrophes and the COVID-19 pandemic will hit $51 million. Breaking down the overall total, Bermuda-based Argo expects to report Q4...
Croatian Residents Rush to Buy Earthquake Cover After Destructive Quakes in 2020
Feb 3 2021 // Croatian insurers are reaping a windfall as residents rush to sign up for protection after two destructive earthquakes last year left them to rebuild without private coverage, the head of the country’s industry...
Over $115M in Federal Flood Insurance Paid in Louisiana for 2020 Hurricanes
Feb 2 2021 // As of Feb. 1, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has paid out more than $115 million in flood claims in Louisiana in response to the 2020 hurricane season. That figure is up from the $110 million in NFIP payments...
Tornado Hits Florida’s Capital City; Damages, Closes Airport
Jan 29 2021 // A tornado touched down near the airport in Florida’s capital city Wednesday, flipping at least one small plane over and knocking out weather radar before moving east into residential neighborhoods, the National...
Governor Promises Help After Killer Tornado Devastates Alabama Town
Jan 28 2021 // James Scott has never lived anywhere other than a two-story house on hilly Darlene Drive north of Birmingham. Home will never be the same after a tornado smashed the structure into pieces, killed another teen and left the...
Louisiana Governor Seeking $3B in Hurricane Aid From White House
Jan 27 2021 // Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is asking President Joe Biden for $3 billion to help Louisiana with its ongoing recovery from the 2020 hurricanes, saying that he’s filed a request with the new White House similar to...
FEMA OKs More than $1B for Hurricanes Delta, Laura Recovery in Louisiana
Jan 26 2021 // FEMA has approved more than $1 billion in federal disaster assistance, long-term disaster loans and flood insurance claims since Hurricanes Laura and Delta hit the state in 2020. Laura made landfall in Louisiana in late...
Flood Lessons Learned from the 2020 Hurricane Season
Jan 25 2021 // The grim statistical tally of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season highlighted a dramatic year, one that saw the most active such season in recorded history. Last year, there were 30 named storms and 13 hurricanes, of which...
Texas Windstorm Insurer’s Rate Hike Request Denied
Jan 25 2021 // Texas regulators in early January rejected a request for a 5% rate increase by the state’s insurer of last resort for wind and hail for properties along the Texas coast. The Texas Department of Insurance denied the...
If the Nashville Bombing is Considered a “Terrorist” Act, Does that Trigger the Terrorism Exclusion?
Jan 22 2021 // A Christmas Day explosion rocked Nashville, Tennessee. Officials believe 63-year-old Anthony Q. Warner is responsible for the blast that damaged several buildings, injured three people and reportedly killed Warner. Various...
Jumpstart Parametric Earthquake Firm on Move in West
Jan 22 2021 // Jumpstart Insurance Solutions Inc. is on the move in the earthquake-prone West – and the company is now working with insurance agents. Jumpstart, a licensed surplus lines insurance broker using Lloyd’s capacity,...
Corps Could Pay $2.1B Louisiana for Hurricane Protection System
Jan 20 2021 // The Army Corps of Engineers is getting nearly $12.5 million to help build a Louisiana hurricane protection system and could pay $2.1 billion of the expected cost, officials said. Three Republicans in Louisiana’s...
Liberty Specialty Markets Launches German Terrorism Insurance Coverage
Jan 20 2021 // Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has launched new terrorism insurance coverage in the German market, effective immediately. Since LSM entered the market in 2018, business written...
Hurricane-Force Winds Caused Extensive Damage in North Dakota
Jan 19 2021 // A weather system packing hurricane-force wind gusts has caused extensive damage and power outages in western and central North Dakota. The National Weather Service reported wind gusts of 77 mph at Garrison, 81 mph in...
How Climate Change May Affect Hurricane Risk and Losses: AIR, Brookings, AXIS
Jan 19 2021 // By 2050, climate change-related weather events will have a meaningful impact on future hurricane losses, increasing them by 20% or more and in some cases doubling them, even without any increase in the concentration of...
Indonesia Earthquake Leaves Thousands Homeless, Killing at Least 84 People
Jan 19 2021 // MAMUJU, Indonesia (AP) – Aid was reaching the thousands of people left homeless and struggling after an earthquake that killed at least 84 people on an Indonesian island where rescuers intensified their work Monday to...
