Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Feds Will Use Fires to Lower Washington Wildfire Risks
Apr 24 2017 // To reduce the risks of wildfires, federal officials this spring are planning to conduct controlled burns on more than 9,000 acres of land in Washington state forests. The Seattle Times reported the fires planned in the...
How Meteorologists View 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Apr 21 2017 // Most meteorologists forecast the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season will be less active than a year ago, with the number of named storms and hurricanes near average. A few meteorologists, however, expect this season to be more...
Texas ‘Hailstorm’ Bill Passed by Senate Committee
Apr 20 2017 // Texas’ so-called “hailstorm” bill has passed out of the Texas Senate Business & Commerce Committee, its author reports. Senate Bill 10 by committee Chairman Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, is...
Tornado, Hail Losses Hurt Travelers in Q1
Apr 20 2017 // Travelers Cos. was burned again by Mother Nature. Alan Schnitzer has been contending with volatile weather since becoming chief executive officer in late 2015, extending a trend of recent years in which storm seasons last...
XL Catlin Boosts Terrorism Insurance Limits to $250M
Apr 20 2017 // XL Catlin has raised its available terrorism insurance coverage limits to $250 million from $200 million, a 25 percent increase. XL Catlin’s standalone terrorism insurance policy helps U.S. businesses address...
Officials Warn of Possible Evacuations in Georgia as Okefenokee Wildfire Spreads
Apr 19 2017 // Georgia residents on the western edge of the Okefenokee Swamp have been warned to prepare for potential evacuations from an approaching wildfire that has burned more than 30 square miles (80 square kilometers) of public...
Insured Damage for Southern Ontario Windstorm Estimated at US$73.4M
Apr 19 2017 // A windstorm that hit parts of southern Ontario on March 8, 2017 has caused almost C$100 million (US$73.4 million) in insured damage, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), which quoted a report from Catastrophe...
Florida Wildfires Burn More Than 126K Acres So Far in 2017
Apr 19 2017 // At least 126,000 acres have burned in wildfires across Florida since January, surpassing the five-year average of acreage burned in a typical year, officials said. Florida’s fire season peaks this month, during the...
All Risks Launches Commercial Earthquake Program
Apr 18 2017 // All Risks, Ltd. has introduced a new Specialty Property Earthquake Program with an exclusive A.M. Best “A” rated carrier. The Specialty Property Earthquake Program provides difference in conditions insurance,...
Museum in Indiana Exhibit Explains Why Natural Disasters Occur
Apr 17 2017 // Natural disasters can strike at any time, often without warning, and devastate cities, regions, states and countries. Nature Unleashed, a new exhibit at the Indiana State Museum, aims to help Hoosiers understand why...
Average to Below-Average Wildfire Season Expected for Colorado
Apr 17 2017 // Colorado is in store for an average to slightly below-average wildfire season this year, despite dry conditions and early outbreaks on the eastern plains, officials said. “But the fires will occur,” said...
Caution Urged as Wildfire Season Starts in New Jersey
Apr 17 2017 // The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is urging residents to be cautious as the spring wildfire season starts in the state. The agency says this year’s season is starting a little earlier than usual because winter...
Arson Wildfires in Florida Up Nearly 70%
Apr 17 2017 // Florida officials say the number of arson wildfires has increased nearly 70 percent compared to last year. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Friday there have been more than 240 separate arson wildfires so far this...
Earthquakes Lawsuit Against Oklahoma Energy Companies Dismissed
Apr 17 2017 // A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against three oil and gas companies over Oklahoma’s ongoing earthquakes. The lawsuit, filed last year on behalf of Sierra Club Oklahoma, asked for a reduction of production...
This Year Already One of Oklahoma’s Most Active for Wildfires
Apr 17 2017 // Oklahoma Forestry Services officials say 2017 is already among the most active years on record for wildfires. The agency has responded to more than 800 wildfires so far that resulted in more than 450,000 acres of burnt...
Aon: Insured Losses Likely to Exceed $2B from March Storms, Wildfires
Apr 17 2017 // Severe weather in March led to significant damage in the central and eastern United States, racking up more than $2 billion in insured losses, according to a report published by Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfield’s...
Wildfire in Georgia Wildlife Refuge Grows to 6,000 Acres, Spares Communities
Apr 13 2017 // A wildfire sparked by lightning in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is spreading through government-owned swamp and forestland, having burned more than 9 square miles (23.3 square km) near the Georgia-Florida state...
Indiana Museum Exhibit Explains Why Natural Disasters Occur
Apr 12 2017 // Natural disasters can strike at any time, often without warning, and devastate cities, regions, states and countries. Nature Unleashed, a new exhibit at the Indiana State Museum, aims to help Hoosiers understand why...
Florida Gov Declares Emergency As More Than 100 Wildfires Burn Across State
Apr 12 2017 // The Florida Forest Service says more than 100 active wildfires are burning across the state right now. The Tampa Bay Times reports 25 of them are scorching more than 100 acres each. Since February, wildfires have swept...
Insurance Costs for Windstorm Egon Rise to €234M ($243M): PERILS
Apr 12 2017 // The revised estimate of property insurance losses for Windstorm Egon, which hit France and Germany on Jan. 12-13, 2017, is €234 million ($243 million), according to PERILS AG, the independent Zurich-based company that...
