Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Typhoon Tembin Leaves Trail of Death, Destruction in Philippines
Dec 27 2017 // A powerful storm that left a trail of death and destruction in the Philippines was downgraded to a tropical depression Tuesday [Dec. 26] and failed to make landfall in Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands of people in...
Weather Service Reports Possible Tornado in Southern Mississippi
Dec 22 2017 // The National Weather Service says a possible tornado has touched down in southern Mississippi. Forecaster Robert Ricks says people saw a funnel cloud north of the Salem community in Walthall County. Ricks says radar...
California Commissioner Asks Insurers to Forego Detailed Home Inventories in Wake of Wildfires
Dec 21 2017 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is asking insurers to help California wildfire survivors by providing relief from detailed home inventories and to provide up to 100 percent of contents coverage limits without...
St. Louis Cardinals’ Anti-Terrorism Safety Act Plan Approved
Dec 20 2017 // The St. Louis Cardinals have received federal certification giving the organization legal protections in the event of a terrorist attack at Busch Stadium. Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill announced that the U.S. Department...
Catastrophe Bond Managers Put Hurricanes Behind Them, Plan New Launches
Dec 20 2017 // Hedge funds and other managers of catastrophe bond funds racked up some of the worst losses in more than a decade from this year’s hurricanes and wildfires. But a year that is shaping up to be the costliest on record...
California Wildfire Claims Top $9.4B, Department of Insurance Says
Dec 18 2017 // California Commissioner Dave Jones announced in early December that the total of insured losses from the wildfires in California in October had topped $9.4 billion in residential and commercial claims. That figure is near...
The Road to a Rebound After 2017 Storms, Wildfires: Fitch
Dec 18 2017 // U.S. property/casualty insurers will rebound in 2018 from the late-2017 onslaught of hurricanes and wildfires, but it will take a while to return to “significant underwriting profits,” Fitch Ratings predicted...
M4.0 Earthquake Confirmed in Oregon
Dec 15 2017 // An earthquake hit Oregon roughly 40 miles south of Portland near Molalla and was felt by numerous residents in the area, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The USGS reported the magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck about...
Tougher Utility Rules Being Considered in Wake of California Wildfires
Dec 15 2017 // California utilities may face tougher safety rules for power lines, phone lines and utility poles in parts of the state most prone to wildfires. Under the proposed rules being considered by the California Public Utilities...
Winds Kick up Fire Threat from California Wildfires
Dec 15 2017 // Dry, gusting winds are aggravating fire worries across much of central and western California, including those areas where infernos are still raging and places that were scorched in October, the U.S. Storm Prediction...
Farmers Reports $1.2B in Claims from Northern California Wildfires
Dec 15 2017 // Farmers Insurance reported it has received more than 4,000 claims from the Northern California wildfires to date at an estimated gross cost of $1.2 billion. With reinsurance, the Los Angeles-based carrier estimates its...
200 Homes Evacuated as South Dakota Wildfire Grows
Dec 14 2017 // Strong winds are fanning the flames of a growing wildfire in South Dakota, pushing the fire beyond the borders of the Custer State Park and prompting new evacuations. Custer County Emergency Management director Mike Carter...
Report: Nearly $60M in Texas Windstorm Insurer Hurricane Ike Claims Still Unpaid
Dec 13 2017 // The Houston Chronicle reports that several school districts, cities and other government agencies are still waiting for a Texas insurer to pay nearly $60 million in claims from Hurricane Ike, adding to more insurance...
Verisk: 96% of the Area in California Fire at High or Extreme Wildfire Risk
Dec 13 2017 // Most of the area within the massive Thomas fire in Southern California is at high or extreme wildfire risk, according to a Verisk report on Wednesday. The fire encompasses more than 230,500 acres, and while containment on...
Series of Small Earthquakes Rattle Northern Nevada
Dec 13 2017 // The Nevada Seismological Laboratory confirmed a series of small earthquakes rattling north Reno, Nev. Some 32 small earthquakes were reported being felt since Nov. 28. The largest detected had a magnitude of 1.9. Officials...
Wind Threat Remains as Crews Gain on Huge California Wildfire
Dec 13 2017 // After achieving increased containment on one of the biggest wildfires in California history, officials warned that communities remain at risk and the threat could increase as unpredictable winds whip up again. Red Flag...
California Commissioner Wants Halt to Moratoriums in Wildfire Areas
Dec 12 2017 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has issued a formal notice to insurers directing them to cease any and all moratoriums on auto insurance and reminding them that California law prohibits the practice. Jones...
Economist: Hurricane Harvey’s Impact Will Guide Future Development in Houston
Dec 11 2017 // A Houston business group said on Dec. 8 that Hurricane Harvey’s biggest long-term impact on the nation’s fourth-largest city likely will be on where and how new homes and structures are built. The results of...
It’ll Take Time for P/C Insurers’ Profits to Rebound After 2017 Storms, Wildfires: Fitch
Dec 11 2017 // U.S. property/casualty insurers will rebound in 2018 from the late-2017 onslaught of hurricanes and wildfires, but it will take a while to return to “significant underwriting profits,” Fitch Ratings predicted...
Report: 86K-plus Homes at Some Risk Level in Southern California Wildfires
Dec 8 2017 // A total of 86,242 homes in Ventura and Los Angeles counties with a combined reconstruction cost value of $27.7 billion are at some level of risk from the Thomas, Rye and Creek Wildfires, according to a CoreLogic report...
