Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
New Tsunami Hazard Found in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands
Jan 15 2016 // Geologists in Alaska have found evidence that a 125-mile section of the eastern Aleutian Islands that was once considered unlikely to generate earthquakes may be a future source of temblors – as well as potentially...
Oklahoma Residents Sue 12 Energy Companies Following Earthquakes
Jan 14 2016 // A group of Edmond residents has filed a lawsuit against 12 energy companies, claiming that their saltwater disposal wells were partly to blame for earthquakes in central Oklahoma in recent weeks. The lawsuit seeks a...
Texas Seeking Professionals for Windstorm Model Peer Review
Jan 12 2016 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is seeking professionals to conduct a peer review of a model developed to determine causes of insured losses on the coast. The model was developed by an expert panel appointed to...
Southwest Florida Cleans-Up Damage from Weekend Tornado
Jan 12 2016 // Authorities say a weekend tornado that touched down in southwest Florida with winds up to 135 mph damaged several homes, left thousands without power for a time, but caused no serious injuries or deaths. Police say the...
Palomar Launches Equity Protector Residential Earthquake Product in California
Jan 11 2016 // Palomar Specialty Insurance Company has launched Equity Protector, a residential earthquake insurance policy in California. Equity Protector provides for the protection of $50,000 or $75,000 in Coverage A – Dwelling...
Officials: Arkansas Wildfires Burned 14,652 Acres in 2015
Jan 11 2016 // Arkansas forestry officials say wildfires engulfed fewer acres in 2015 when compared to the previous year. Data released by the Arkansas Forestry Commission on Friday said 14,652 acres burned last year, compared to 16,687...
Preliminary Data: Kansas Saw Big Increase in Tornadoes in 2015
Jan 11 2016 // Kansas’ 124 confirmed tornadoes in 2015 were 83 more than the previous year, tying for the fourth highest number since 1990, according to the National Weather Service’s preliminary data. Eric Metzger, a...
California Earthquake Authority’s 2016 Changes Aim to Increase Policy Count
Jan 11 2016 // It’s about the closest thing to DIY earthquake insurance as one can get, though there’s definitely no indication that the newest consumer-friendly features being rolled out by the California Earthquake...
Preliminary Insured Loss Estimate from Texas Tornadoes: $1.2B
Jan 11 2016 // Texas is dealing with approximately $1.2 billion in insured losses so far from nine confirmed tornadoes that struck the Dallas metro area on Dec. 26, 2015, and killed 11 people, according to preliminary estimates from the...
Dallas-Area Tornadoes Account for a Big Chunk of December Insured Losses in U.S.
Jan 7 2016 // A recently released report shows that damage estimates from the natural disaster events that occurred in the United States in December 2015 will amount to more than $4 billion. Aon Benfield’s catastrophe model...
A.M. Earthquake Jolted Parts of Southern California
Jan 7 2016 // An early morning earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.5 shook the inland region of Southern California, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS says the quake occurred at 6:42 a.m. Wednesday and was...
Preliminary Data: Kansas Saw Big Increase in Tornadoes in 2015
Jan 6 2016 // Kansas’ 124 confirmed tornadoes in 2015 were 83 more than the previous year, tying for the fourth highest number since 1990, according to the National Weather Service’s preliminary data. Eric Metzger, a...
Magnitude 6.7 Earthquake Jolts India, Bangladesh: AIR Worldwide
Jan 5 2016 // A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit northeast India near its border with Myanmar and Bangladesh on Jan. 4 at 4:35 a.m. local time, about 29 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Imphal, the capital of Manipur state, according to...
Tennessee Records 19 Tornadoes in 2015
Jan 5 2016 // Weather officials say 19 tornadoes touched down in Tennessee last year, marking the state’s lowest total since 2007. The National Weather Service said one tornado struck the state in April and two touched down in May...
Small Earthquake Shakes Parts of New Jersey, New York
Jan 4 2016 // Scientists say a small earthquake has hit in northern New Jersey. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-2.07 quake hit just before 1 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, roughly 2 miles northwest of Ringwood, New Jersey....
‘Average’ Would Describe Wyoming Wildfire Season, Forester Says
Dec 31 2015 // Wyoming firefighters put out a typical number of wildfires in 2015 despite a surge in blazes nationwide. The Casper Star-Tribune reported that Wyoming state forester Bill Crapser says the state’s weather...
China Anti-Terrorism Law Raises Implementation Concerns: European Chamber
Dec 31 2015 // The vague wording of China’s new counter-terrorism law raises concerns about how telecommunications carriers and network service providers will be expected to implement the regulations in practice, the European...
Insured Loss Estimate from Texas Tornadoes at $1.2B, So Far
Dec 30 2015 // Texas is dealing with approximately $1.2 billion in insured losses so far from nine confirmed tornadoes that struck the metro-Dallas area on Dec. 26 and killed 11 people, according to preliminary estimates from the...
California Earthquake Authority’s 2016 Changes Aim to Increase Policy Count
Dec 29 2015 // It’s about the closest thing to DIY earthquake insurance as one can get, though there’s definitely no indication that the newest consumer-friendly features being rolled out by the California Earthquake...
Southeast Continues to Get Hammered by Strong Storms, Tornadoes
Dec 29 2015 // Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Mobile, Ala., say a tornado was reported in Molino in northwest Florida on Monday. The line of strong thunderstorms also moved into storm-battered Alabama on Monday, bringing...
