Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Earthquake Warning System in Obama Budget Pleases Lawmakers
Feb 12 2015 // President Barack Obama’s recommendation to spend $5 million next year on an early earthquake warning system for the West Coast represents a significant breakthrough, congressional supporters of the project...
$324 Million: PERILS’ Final Loss Estimate for Windstorm Tini
Feb 12 2015 // PERILS AG announced that its final property insurance market loss estimate for windstorm Tini, also known as Darwin, which affected Ireland and the United Kingdom on 12 and 13 February 2014, is €286 million [$324...
Firefighters Gain on California Wildfire That Destroyed 40 Homes
Feb 9 2015 // Firefighters on Sunday evening gained the upper hand on a wind-driven wildfire that destroyed 40 homes, burned nearly 11 square miles and forced about 150 people to leave two small California towns at the eastern base of...
Work on ‘Tsunami-Proof’ School on Washington Coast Underway
Feb 9 2015 // Ground has been broken for a new school building on the Washington coast at Westport that officials say is designed to be tsunami-proof. The planned “vertical evacuation structure” will be an addition to the...
Geologists Look for Earthquake, Fracking Connection in Kansas
Feb 6 2015 // For at the last 15 months, Kansas geologist Rex Buchanan estimates, he’s spent 90 percent of his time studying something once relatively rare in the state — earthquakes. He has learned a lot, said the director of...
Minor Damage to Courthouse after Northern Oklahoma Earthquake Swarm
Feb 6 2015 // A swarm of earthquakes has shaken parts of Alfalfa County in northern Oklahoma. The U.S. Geological Survey says four earthquakes have been recorded around Cherokee and Helena since late on Feb. 4, including a magnitude 4.3...
Palomar Specialty, Civil Service Employees Insurance to Offer Earthquake Coverage
Feb 2 2015 // Palomar Specialty Insurance Co. has partnered with Civil Service Employees Insurance Co. to offer a comprehensive residential earthquake solution for CSE’s customers. Palomar Specialty’s residential earthquake...
Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Develops Earthquake Plan
Feb 2 2015 // The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission now has a plan for future earthquakes after two small quakes rattled an area in Weld County that officials later determined were likely caused by a nearby injection...
Obama Budget: Taxes, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Crop Insurance, Wildfires
Feb 2 2015 // President Barack Obama on Monday proposed a $3.99 trillion budget for fiscal year 2016 that sets up a battle with Republicans over programs to boost the middle class that are funded by higher taxes on corporations and...
5.7 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Northern California Coast
Jan 30 2015 // A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 struck off the coast of Northern California on Jan. 28. The U.S. Geological Survey reports the quake shook at 1:08 p.m. about 40 miles southwest of Eureka. Lt....
Kansas Geologists Seek More Funding for Earthquake Monitoring
Jan 28 2015 // Kansas geologists say they need more funding to investigate an unprecedented spike in earthquakes in the state. Kansas Geological Survey Director Rex Buchanan told the House Energy and Environment Committee that about half...
Oklahoma Supreme Court to Hear Oil Company/Earthquake Lawsuit
Jan 26 2015 // Oklahoma’s highest court has decided to hear a lawsuit that alleges two oil companies are liable for injuries a Prague woman suffered during a 2011 earthquake. The lawsuit by Sandra Ladra of Prague is among dozens of...
Characteristics of ‘Charlie Hebdo’ Attack Thwarted Counter-Terrorism Efforts: RMS
Jan 26 2015 // A number of unique characteristics of the January 7 terrorist attack against satirical French magazine “Charlie Hebdo” allowed terrorists to succeed despite counter-terrorism efforts, according to a new report...
Legislative Focus for Texas Windstorm Insurer: Funding, Depopulation
Jan 22 2015 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, the state-created insurer that provides property coverage for wind and hail in 14 coastal counties and parts of Harris County, has submitted a report to the Legislature with...
Work on ‘Tsunami-Proof’ School on Washington Coast Underway
Jan 22 2015 // Ground has been broken for a new school building on the Washington coast at Westport. Officials say the structure is designed to be tsunami-proof. KOMO-TV reported that the planned “vertical evacuation...
Small Tornado in Washington Confirmed by Weather Service
Jan 21 2015 // The National Weather Service confirms it was a small tornado that knocked down some trees and blew around loose objects Sunday afternoon at Gig Harbor in Washington. A Weather Service survey team determined the tornado was...
Experts: Steady Rate of Earthquakes in Oklahoma in 2014
Jan 21 2015 // After increasing rapidly over the past three years, the pace of earthquakes in Oklahoma held steady in 2014 at a rate higher than California and far higher than the historic average in Oklahoma. Oklahoma experienced 567...
Texas Windstorm Expert Panel to Discuss Work at Public Meeting
Jan 20 2015 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance expert panel will hold a public meeting on Jan. 28 to inform the public about the progress of the panel’s work, to allow the public to observe the panel discussing its work, and to give...
Earthquake Risk in North Texas Likely to Be Upgraded
Jan 20 2015 // The U.S. Geological Survey is considering raising its risk projections for earthquakes in North Texas. The Dallas area has experienced more than 120 quakes since 2008. The Dallas Morning News reports that USGS will likely...
Connecticut Issues Consumer Advisory on Earthquake Insurance
Jan 15 2015 // The U.S. Geological Service has reported a series of minor earthquakes in parts of eastern Connecticut this week, including a 2.0-magnitude earthquake Thursday morning near Plainfield, Connecticut. The Weston Observatory...
