Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Emergency Management Director for Florida Keys Braces for Hurricane Season
May 29 2025 // No place is more vulnerable to hurricanes in the 50 U.S. states than the Florida Keys. The chain of islands celebrated by singer Jimmy Buffett in his odes to tropical escapism is surrounded by water, jutting out 120 miles...
First Heat Wave of Season to Bake West, Increasing Wildfire Risk
May 27 2025 // Extreme heat levels of are expected in the western United States later this week, raising the risk wildfires and heat-related illnesses and putting a strain on power grids. Meteorologists at AccuWeather say a strong dome...
Progress Is Slow for Chimney Rock, NC Hit Hard by Hurricane Helene
May 27 2025 // The brightly colored sign along the S-curve mountain road beckons visitors to the Gemstone Mine, the “#1 ATTRACTION IN CHIMNEY ROCK VILLAGE!” But another sign, on the shop’s mud-splattered front door,...
Wildfires Erupt Near Alberta Oil Well Sites Amid Hot Weather
May 27 2025 // Hot weather sparked a string of wildfires around Alberta over the weekend, including some near oil and gas wells operated by Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and others. Four out-of-control fires were burning in Alberta at...
More Tornadoes, Fewer Meteorologists Make for a Dangerous Mix
May 27 2025 // As nasty tornadoes popped up from Kansas to Kentucky, a depleted National Weather Service was in scramble mode. The agency’s office in Jackson, Kentucky, had begun closing nightly as deep cuts by Elon Musk’s...
Missouri DCI Estimates High Uninsured Rates in St. Louis Amidst Tornado Recovery
May 23 2025 // The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance released preliminary uninsured estimates for properties in the St. Louis in response to the F3 tornado that struck the region on Friday, May 16. DCI Department Director...
Get Ready for Another Busy Atlantic Hurricane Season
May 22 2025 // With warmer than normal ocean waters, forecasters are expecting yet another unusually busy hurricane season for the Atlantic. But they don’t think it will be as chaotic as 2024, the third-costliest season on record...
While FEMA Faces Overhaul, Mississippi Tornado Survivors Wait for Assistance
May 22 2025 // More than two months after a tornado demolished his Mississippi home, Brian Lowery still sifts through the rubble, hoping to find a tie clip his mother gave him, made from the center stone of her wedding band. “I...
Global Forest Loss Tops Record as Wildfires Drive Destruction
May 21 2025 // Global loss of tropical and boreal forests surged to a record high last year as unprecedented temperatures fueled fires, releasing more than four times the emissions of all air travel in 2023. That’s according to the...
More Tornadoes Plow Through Central US, Leaving Thousands Without Power
May 20 2025 // More tornadoes plowed through the central U.S. on Monday and thousands were without power as people from Texas to Kentucky continued to clean up from days of severe weather that killed more than two dozen people and...
APCIA: Record Shows ‘Minimal Complaints’ on Hurricane Milton, Helene Claims
May 20 2025 // The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) chimed in to a recent Senate subcommittee hearing to defend the industry’s response to claims following hurricanes Milton and Helene. “The vast...
Storms, Tornadoes Hit Kentucky and St. Louis as More Weather Approaches
May 19 2025 // More severe storms were expected to roll across the central U.S. this week following the weather-related deaths of more than two dozen people and a devastating Kentucky tornado. The National Weather Service said a...
Swiss Re Profits Up Despite Losses from California Wildfires
May 16 2025 // Swiss Re AG’s profit rose in the first quarter as losses from the California wildfires were offset by positive performance across the business. Net income increased to $1.3 billion from $1.1 billion a year earlier,...
Conflagration’s role in the wildfire equation
May 16 2025 // This post is part of a series sponsored by Cotality. There’s a blurry line between where a wildfire ends and a conflagration begins. But, without an understanding of both types of fires, their dynamics, and their...
Slide Secures $250M Cat Bond as Hurricane Season Looms
May 15 2025 // Tampa-based Slide Insurance announced it has finalized a $250 million catastrophe bond through Purple Re Ltd., expanding Slide’s hurricane protection in Florida and South Carolina. “Securing cat bonds over the...
LA County Wildfire Alert Mistakenly Sent to Millions Due to Tech Glitch
May 15 2025 // A technological glitch caused an emergency alert to be mistakenly sent to millions of Los Angeles County residents in January rather than only those in the proximity of a wildfire, according to a congressional report. The...
German Reinsurers Report Q1 Profits Down Sharply on Los Angeles Wildfire Claims
May 13 2025 // Germany’s largest reinsurers, Munich Re and Hannover Re, reported sharp declines in first-quarter profit on Tuesday after a combined 1.7 billion euros ($1.89 billion) in claims relating to the Los Angeles wildfires...
Family of Helicopter Pilot Killed in California Wildfire Reaches $15M Settlement
May 13 2025 // The family of a helicopter pilot who died when his helicopter crashed while fighting a wildfire in Southern California reached a $15 million settlement with the company that maintained the aircraft, their attorneys...
Tornadoes, Winds, Rain Hit Florida Panhandle and Parts of Alabama
May 12 2025 // Tornadoes, strong winds and flash flooding hit parts of north Florida and Alabama over the weekend, damaging dozens of homes and commercial and farm structures, weather and local news sites reported. In the Florida...
4.1 Magnitude Tennessee Earthquake Rattles Homes as Far Away as Atlanta
May 12 2025 // ATLANTA (AP) — A 4.1-magnitude earthquake in Tennessee woke up families and rattled homes as far away as Atlanta as it spread tremors across portions of the southern U.S. on Saturday morning. No injuries or major damage...
