Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Typhoon Lekima Roars Through Eastern China, Killing at Least 32
Aug 12 2019 // The death toll from a typhoon in eastern China rose to 32 on Sunday, with 16 people missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported, as the country braced for more travel disruptions as the storm moved further north up the...
Hurricane Activity Could Pick Up as El Nino Fades, Say Forecasters
Aug 12 2019 // Government meteorologists say this year’s hurricane season may be busier than initially expected now that summer’s weak El Nino has faded away. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s...
Hurricane Barry Cost Economy $600M, Insurers $300M: Aon Catastrophe Report
Aug 9 2019 // Total economic losses, largely flood-driven, were expected to exceed US$600 million, while public and private insurers paid out nearly US$300 million, said Aon in its latest edition of its monthly Global Catastrophe Recap...
Lawsuit Says Manufacturer, Rancher Caused Oregon Wildfire
Aug 9 2019 // A lawsuit says a rancher, workers and the John Deere farm equipment company are at fault for a wildfire that burned parts of an Oregon Native American reservation. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs filed the...
PG&E Posts $2.6B Loss Stemming From California Wildfires, Bankruptcy
Aug 9 2019 // PG&E Corp. reported a $2.6 billion loss for the second quarter as costs from devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018 and the California utility’s giant’s ongoing bankruptcy wiped out earnings. The loss...
China Braces for Typhoon Lekima as Strongest Storm to Hit Region in 2019
Aug 9 2019 // Flights and high-speed train services were canceled in Shanghai as the strongest typhoon to hit the region this year swept past Taiwan and headed toward the Chinese coast. Air China Ltd., China Eastern Airlines Corp. and...
ISO, Intterra, Western Fire Chiefs Partner to Better Understand Wildfire Risk
Aug 8 2019 // ISO and Intterra are partnering with the Western Fire Chiefs Association to explore new ways of analyzing and understanding wildfire risk. Intterra has worked with the WFCA for several years to develop the Fire Data Lab, a...
Ridgecrest Earthquakes Shake Up Californians, but How Bad Could it Be?
Aug 8 2019 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. Earthquake risk in California is no secret. For years scientists have been warning the state is overdue for a large damaging event. Nearly 30 years ago, the 1989 Loma...
Typhoon Lekima to Weaken Before Hitting Shanghai this Weekend
Aug 8 2019 // A storm swirling over the Pacific Ocean east of Taiwan is threatening to become a super typhoon before weakening and dousing Shanghai this weekend with as much as 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain. Typhoon Lekima could...
New Hurricane Response Tools from Munich Re Aim to Improve Claims Experience
Aug 7 2019 // Munich Re has launched a new suite of hurricane response tools designed to help insurance companies assess widespread property damage after a hurricane and improve their customers’ claims experience. Developed by...
Texas Windstorm Insurer: No Rate Hike for 2020
Aug 6 2019 // Texas’ provider of last resort for wind and hail insurance for Texas coastal properties won’t be raising its residential and commercial property rates next year. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA)...
U.S. Northwest Faces Growing Wildfire Threat
Aug 6 2019 // Nestled in the foothills of Washington’s Cascade Mountains, the bustling Seattle suburb of Issaquah seems an unlikely candidate for anxiety over wildfires. The region, famous for its rainfall, has long escaped major...
Earthquake Repairs at Alaska Schools Could Top $150M
Aug 5 2019 // Repairs and upgrades at Anchorage, Alaska-area schools damaged last year’s big earthquake could cost more than $150 million, officials said. The Anchorage School District said the new estimate triples the original...
Artificial Intelligence Helps to Contain Wildfires, Predict Wild Weather
Aug 5 2019 // On a tower in the Brazilian rainforest, a sentinel scans the horizon for the first signs of fire. Only these eyes aren’t human. They don’t blink or take breaks, and guided by artificial intelligence they can...
Vast Sahara Dust Cloud Hinders Formation of Tropical Storms in Atlantic
Aug 3 2019 // Dry air from the Sahara that’s carrying enough dust it can be seen from space is preventing thunderstorms over the Atlantic from strengthening into powerful tropical systems. The system sits hundreds of miles...
California Governor Defends State’s Wildfire Efforts
Aug 2 2019 // Gov. Gavin Newsom defended California’s wildfire prevention efforts this week while criticizing the federal government for not doing enough to help protect the state as it enters the height of fire season after two...
Sun Valley Climate Conference’s Broad Agenda: Wildfires, Military, Insurance, Resilience
Aug 1 2019 // Washington had a record 1,850 responses to wildfires on Department of Natural Resources lands last year. Over the last five years, wildfires have continued to hit the state hard. One state official, who believes climate...
Court Upholds Facebook Immunity in Case Brought by Terrorist Attack Victims
Aug 1 2019 // Facebook Inc. on Wednesday defeated an appeal by American victims of Hamas attacks in Israel, who sought to hold the company liable for providing the group a social media platform to further its terroristic goals. The 2nd...
Florida Regulator Calls Open Hurricane Michael Claims ‘Discouraging’; Plans Data Call
Aug 1 2019 // With more than 20,000 claims related to Hurricane Michael still open nine months after the storm hit the Florida Panhandle, Florida’s top insurance regulator is calling on the insurance industry to take “all...
North Carolina Residents Hit by 2 Hurricanes Still Waiting on Long-Term Aid
Jul 31 2019 // The heating and air conditioning in Carrie Johnson’s home – damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 – still wasn’t fixed when Hurricane Florence flooded her house last September. Now, her home of over 50 years...
