Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Southeast Missouri Rattled by Small Earthquakes
Oct 20 2015 // A pair of earthquakes hit southeast Missouri on Oct. 16, but there were no reports of damage or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said a 3.4-magnitude earthquake, followed 24 minutes later by a 3.2-magnitude aftershock,...
Progress Made Against Central Texas Wildfire
Oct 20 2015 // As of Oct. 19, about 70 percent of a wildfire that has burned thousands of acres in Central Texas had been contained, officials said. Some 275 firefighters were assisted by at least seven aircraft dumping water and fire...
Climate Change Adds Billions to U.S. Hurricane Losses: Study
Oct 20 2015 // Climate change has added billions to the toll of hurricane strikes on the U.S., according to a study that challenges the prevailing scientific view that the rising cost is mainly because more buildings, towns and...
AIR Analyzes Typhoon Koppu’s Heavy Flooding Impact on the Philippines
Oct 20 2015 // A report from catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide highlights “widespread flooding, landslides, wrecked roads and bridges, downed trees, and power outages” in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon...
Slow Moving Typhoon Koppu Kills 4 in Philippines, Displaces Thousands
Oct 19 2015 // Typhoon Koppu left at least four people dead in the Philippines, shutting schools and government offices, while floods and landslides continue to threaten the nation’s main Luzon Island. The slow-moving and powerful...
Insuring against Terrorism: America’s Post-9/11 Recovery
Oct 19 2015 // In a nation founded on a system of checks and balances – House against Senate, Supreme Court versus the Presidency – gridlock can be a fact of life, especially in peacetime. But in a time of real trouble from...
2 Northern California Wildfires Caused Nearly $2B in Damage
Oct 16 2015 // An insurance company says two massive wildfires that burned up parts of Northern California did nearly $2 billion in damage, among the costliest blazes the Golden State has ever seen. The Sacramento Bee reports that a...
Typhoon Koppu (a.k.a. Lando) to Hit Philippines with Heavy Rainfall Warnings
Oct 16 2015 // Typhoon Koppu is gaining strength and looks likely to deliver heavy rainfall over parts of Luzon in the northern Philippines this weekend and early next week, which may trigger dangerous flooding and mudslides, according...
Proposal for Higher Texas Windstorm Policy Liability Limits Denied
Oct 15 2015 // Texas Insurance Commissioner David Mattax has denied a request by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) to increase limits of liability for residential and commercial properties it insures along the Texas...
Climate Change Means Wildfire Seasons May Continue: Professor
Oct 15 2015 // The drought-plagued western U.S. has had more than its share of fires this year – but this may not be the last year that the nation sees so many wildfires gone wild. A Yale University professor looking back over the last...
Residents Evacuate as Wildfire Burns in Northwestern Louisiana
Oct 15 2015 // Authorities say a series of wildfires have burned more than two square miles in northwestern Louisiana and threatened homes. Louisiana State Police said in a statement that the fires started Tuesday afternoon in Bienville...
Update: Central Texas Wildfire Now Over 4,000 Acres
Oct 15 2015 // A Central Texas wildfire grew to more than 4,000 acres on Oct. 15, and at least 400 homes have been evacuated according to the Bastrop County Emergency Management Agency. The Texas A&M Forest Service had said the blaze...
Will This Earthquake Cause Damage? Tips to Think Like a Seismologist!
Oct 14 2015 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic Earthquakes have the potential to cause major destruction and disruption to society. Damage caused by earthquakes can be catastrophic and can have both a humanitarian...
Gains Made on Wyoming Wildfire That’s Destroyed Dozen-plus Structures
Oct 14 2015 // Wyoming State Forester Bill Crapser blames unseasonably dry weather with temperatures in the 70s and 80s for a destructive wildfire just outside Casper, which is practically unheard of at this time of year in the Cowboy...
Tropical Storm Koppu Forms in Pacific, Heading Toward Philippines, East Asia
Oct 14 2015 // Tropical Storm Koppu, which formed Tuesday in the Pacific Ocean, is heading west in a direction that may bring it ashore in the northern Philippines later this week. The system is forecast to continue its track west...
Moody’s Index Aims to Measure Economic Impact of Terrorism
Oct 13 2015 // Can the impact of terrorism on economic growth be measured? Moody’s Investors Service has constructed a terrorism index to quantify the hit to gross domestic product, government spending, investment and borrowing...
California Bill Requiring Earthquake Reports on Water Infrastructure Signed
Oct 9 2015 // California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed into law a plan to require regional water-management officials to report the vulnerability of their water systems to an earthquake. Senate Bill 664, authored by Sen. Bob...
Typhoon Mujigae Hits So. China; Strongest Cyclone to Hit Region: AIR Worldwide
Oct 9 2015 // Typhoon Mujigae – also called Kabayan – made landfall in China’s Guangdong Province on October 4 with reported wind speeds up to 135 miles per hour (217 kilometers per hour) in some locations. Mujigae quickly...
California Wildfire Claims Top $1B as Peak Season Begins: Report
Oct 8 2015 // A report forecasts claims from two California wildfires last month will exceed $1 billion. Wildfires in 2015 have caused more damage and financial loss in the U.S. than in any other year since 2007, according to the...
Wyoming Man and His Insurers to Pay $2.9M for 2012 Wildfire
Oct 5 2015 // A man who accidentally started a 2012 wildfire that burned over a mountain and threatened the town of Jackson has agreed to a $2.9 million payment under a legal settlement. James G. Anderson Jr., 79, will be responsible...
