Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Utah Law Enables Authorities to Crash Drones at Wildfires
Jul 22 2016 // Utah’s governor has signed into law a measure that makes the state the first to let authorities jam drone signals and crash the devices specifically for flying too close to wildfires. Republican Gov. Gary...
Can States Stop Man-Made Earthquakes?
Jul 21 2016 // Stopping an earthquake before it starts? It sounds like a feat possible only for a superhero. But in Kansas and Oklahoma state policymakers are showing that insofar as humans are causing earthquakes, they can stop them,...
Southern Colorado Wildfire Now 30 Percent Contained
Jul 19 2016 // Firefighters are letting areas of a wildfire burn near Coaldale in southern Colorado because it is too dangerous to get into some wilderness areas, but they have managed to protect homes and contain 30 percent of the blaze...
Federal Government Sues California Homeowner for $25M over Wildfire
Jul 18 2016 // The federal government is suing a California homeowner for nearly $25 million, contending his negligence sparked a 2013 fire in the mountains east of Los Angeles that forced 5,000 people from their homes. The lawsuit says...
New Jersey Storms Spawn Tornado, No Injuries Reported
Jul 18 2016 // Weather forecasters have confirmed a tornado touched down in New Jersey. The National Weather Service says a tornado with 75 mph winds was confirmed near White Township on July 14. Tom Smith says he saw a twisting black...
Allianz Names XL Catlin’s Posner Senior Underwriter for Terrorism Insurance in North America
Jul 14 2016 // Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) reported that Adam Posner has been named senior underwriter for Terrorism & Political Violence insurance. Posner will be based in New York and he will report directly to...
XL Estimates Q2 Cats to Cost $240M, Led by Alberta Wildfires
Jul 14 2016 // XL Group Plc, the insurer that expanded last year with the purchase of Catlin Group Ltd., said second-quarter catastrophe costs were probably about $240 million pretax, with wildfires in Alberta, Canada, responsible for...
Southern Colorado Wildfire Expected to Grow
Jul 13 2016 // Firefighters were expecting a wildfire burning near Coaldale to grow Wednesday in dry, windy weather but crews are working toward getting the blaze contained near the town between Canon City and Salida. However, the Hayden...
Storms & Earthquakes Drive Up Insured Losses in 1H 2016: Munich Re
Jul 13 2016 // Economic losses caused by natural catastrophes in the first half of 2016 totaled US$70 billion, a significant increase from the $59 billion reported for the first half of last year, according to a loss review issued by...
London Market’s Electronic Placing Platform Binds 1st Standalone Terrorism Risk
Jul 12 2016 // London Market Group (LMG) announce that the first standalone terrorism risk was bound on PPL – the London Market’s electronic placing platform – within the first hour of trading yesterday morning. The broker was...
Alaska Asking for Input on Updated Tsunami Guidelines
Jul 11 2016 // The University of Alaska Fairbanks and the state officials are seeking public input on new guidelines for how coastal communities should respond to tsunamis. The Kodiak Daily Mirror reported that new modeling shows the...
London Market’s Electronic Placing Platform Begins Trading Terrorism Risks
Jul 11 2016 // London Market Group (LMG) announced that PPL – the London Market’s electronic placing platform began trading today, with brokers and underwriters exchanging information on standalone terrorism risks, the first...
With 2016 Hurricane Season Underway, Florida AOB Storm Mounting
Jul 11 2016 // As hurricane season rolls on in Florida, one of the best protections against storms is a strong homeowner/insurance agent relationship. Having the right policy is just the start. Agents can help homeowners protect...
Typhoon Nepartak Lashes Taiwan, to Weaken Before Hitting China
Jul 8 2016 // Super typhoon Nepartak hit Taiwan on Friday, driving thousands of people from their homes, disrupting power supply and forcing the cancellation of more than 600 flights, emergency authorities said. Television showed images...
Alberta Wildfires to Cost Insurers About $2.8B, in Canada’s Costliest Disaster
Jul 8 2016 // The wildfires that tore across the oil-producing region of Canada this year will cost insurers about C$3.58 billion ($2.8 billion) in claims, the most costly insured natural disaster in the country’s history, an...
Taiwan Readies for Typhoon Nepartak; AIR Worldwide Comments
Jul 7 2016 // Taiwan told schools and offices along its eastern coast to close early Thursday as Typhoon Nepartak threatens to unleash strong winds and heavy rain across the island through Friday. Airlines canceled or rerouted flights...
National Weather Service Confirms 3 Tornadoes in Kentucky, West Virginia
Jul 7 2016 // Three tornadoes have been confirmed in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia from recent storms, the National Weather Service said Tuesday. After sending a team Tuesday to survey damage reports from Monday’s...
Wildfire Threat in California, Southwest High in July
Jul 5 2016 // Forecasters say the threat of wildfires will remain high in Southern California and the Southwest this month because of persistent drought and because summer rains may not be as consistent as usual. The National...
Marsh: Industry Must Adapt to Meet Changing Terrorist Threats
Jul 5 2016 // The federal terrorism reinsurance program in 2015 has helped maintain certainty and stability for the U.S. market even as the nature of terrorist acts has changed, according to global insurance broker Marsh in its latest...
Treasury Recommends Some Terrorism Premiums Be Retained for Future Claims
Jul 5 2016 // In a report that concludes that the federal terrorism risk insurance program “remains an important mechanism” for ensuring that terrorism risk insurance is available and generally affordable, the U.S. Treasury...
