Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Does a CPP Cover Trees Knocked Over by a Hurricane?
Oct 18 2017 // Last week we entered into a discussion of downed trees, in particular, trees downed by a hurricane. We spent our time dealing with the HO-3 policy and how it responds. If you didn’t catch that, take a look at last...
Georgia Estimates $550M in Insured Losses from Hurricane Irma
Oct 18 2017 // Georgia’s estimated insured losses from Hurricane Irma have climbed to more than $550 million, with insurers reporting approximately 103,163 claims filed so far, according to Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph...
Joplin School District Still Haggling with FEMA over Cost of Tornado Repairs
Oct 17 2017 // More than six years after a deadly tornado tore through Joplin, Missouri, the heavily damaged local school district has rebuilt. Exactly how much of those costs the district will have to shoulder remains up in the air. The...
Tornado in Oregon Damages Small Planes
Oct 17 2017 // Authorities say that it was a tornado that touched down south of Portland, Ore. last week overturning small airplanes, downing power lines and damaging several glass greenhouses. National Weather Service meteorologists say...
All Wildfire Damage to California Wineries May Not be Covered by Insurance
Oct 17 2017 // Wineries damaged by wildfires tearing through Northern California are starting insurance claims, and at least some of the smaller vintners are likely to find limits in their policies mean payouts fall short of rebuilding...
When Hurricanes Wreak Havoc: An Insurance Agency’s Perspective
Oct 16 2017 // Weathering a storm like Hurricanes Harvey, Irma or Maria requires planning, insurance and grit. In a span of 30 days the devastation from multiple hurricanes impacted millions of American families and businesses. When...
California Wildfires Threaten Significant Losses for P/C Insurers, Moody’s Says
Oct 16 2017 // Moody’s released a report on Monday assessing the impact of the wildfires in California on property/casualty insurers. “Based on history and the number of structures damaged, insured losses will run into the...
PG&E’s Possible Liability in California Wildfires Targeted by Investigators
Oct 16 2017 // PG&E Corp. at the end of last week capped its worst week in nine years on speculation that downed power lines may have played a role in deadly wildfires raging across California. And the rout is far from over. After...
Texas Windstorm Association Extends Deadline for Post-Harvey Appraisal Requests
Oct 16 2017 // As of Oct. 4, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), the insurer of last resort for wind and hail along the Texas coast, had received 68,861 claims related to Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall near Rockport,...
California Commissioner Asks Insurers to Expedite Claims to Aid Wildfire Victims
Oct 15 2017 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones over the weekend issued a notice to insurers asking them to agree to expedited claims handling procedures for wildfire damage claims to help fire victims more quickly. Several...
Ireland Readies for Hurricane Ophelia, One of Its Strongest Storms in 50-Plus Years
Oct 13 2017 // Ophelia strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane forecast to strike Ireland, where one of the nation’s strongest storms in half a century threatens everything from farms to a golf course owned by the family of U.S....
Lloyd’s Outlook Is Negative on Hurricane Losses; Ratings Affirmed: S&P
Oct 13 2017 // S&P Global Ratings has revised its outlook on the Society of Lloyd’s to negative from stable, while reaffirming the market’s ‘A+’ insurer financial strength and long-term counterparty credit...
Hurricane-Battered Flood Insurance Program In Need of Funding
Oct 13 2017 // The U.S. National Flood Insurance Program, struggling with the costs of this year’s record hurricane season, will run out of money as early as Oct. 23 unless Congress takes action. The Federal Emergency Management...
House Approves $36.5B Disaster Aid with Puerto Rico, Wildfires, Flood Insurance Funds
Oct 12 2017 // The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved $36.5 billion in emergency relief for hurricane-hit Puerto Rico and other areas that have suffered recent disasters. In addition to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico,...
Losses from California Wildfires Could Reach up to $6 Billion, Experts Say
Oct 12 2017 // This story has been updated with the latest estimates on fire losses. The wildfires raging in California are shaping up to become an infamous if not historic event. The fires have destroyed 3,500 structures and counting,...
$36.5 Billion House Disaster Aid Bill Includes Funds for Puerto Rico, Wildfires, Flood Insurance
Oct 12 2017 // House lawmakers unveiled a bill Tuesday night that would provide $36.5 billion in emergency funding for hurricane and wildfire relief requested by the Trump administration. With Congress under pressure to provide urgent...
How Aerial Imaging Is Speeding Hurricane Claims Settlements
Oct 12 2017 // In the wake of three devastating hurricanes this season, many carriers and vendors used drones and airplanes to assess structural storm damage. This use of aerial imaging combined with machine learning has fostered...
Cal Fire: California Wildfires Have Destroyed 3,500 Structures, Killed 17
Oct 11 2017 // Cal Fire is reporting that 17 people are confirmed to have died in the wildfires throughout the state this week and that at least 3,500 homes and commercial structures have been destroyed by the fast-moving...
California’s $58B Wine Industry Hit by Wildfires
Oct 11 2017 // The fires ravaging Northern California stand to leave the area’s renowned wine industry with damage that will be felt long after the final flames burn out. At least four Napa Valley vineyards have been destroyed or...
California Wildfires Are a ‘Larger Scale Disaster’
Oct 10 2017 // Active wildfires in California have burned an estimated 1,500 homes and commercial structures, scorched more than 115,000 acres and reportedly killed 15 people. Insurers and others who access damage are only beginning to...
