Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
$952 Million: PERILS Initial Loss Estimate for Windstorm Mike-Niklas
May 11 2015 // PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization providing industry-wide catastrophe insurance data, has given an initial estimate for windstorm Mike-Niklas (Lentestorm in the Netherlands) of €853 million [$952...
State of Emergency Declared in Oklahoma Following Severe Storms, Tornados
May 7 2015 // Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has declared a state of emergency after an outbreak of severe storms that swept across the state on May 6 bringing tornados, high winds, hail and flooding. At least 39 tornados were reported to...
NOAA in Miami to Send More Hurricane Drones into Atlantic this Season
May 6 2015 // Scientists are planning to send more drones flying into hurricanes that develop during the upcoming Atlantic storm season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration first launched the 13-pound winged drones into...
Verisk Expands Wildfire Risk Service to 3 More States
May 5 2015 // Verisk Insurance Solutions has added Montana, Oklahoma and Wyoming to its FireLine wildfire risk management service. FireLine provides information to insurers to analyze wildfire risk at the individual address...
Wildfires Burn Buildings, Cause Evacuation in Central Wisconsin
May 4 2015 // Six buildings caught fire and 15 homes had to be evacuated as warm weather and dry conditions helped fuel wildfires in central Wisconsin. Catherine Koele, the wildfire prevention specialist for the state Department of...
2 Small Weekend Earthquakes Shake Central Mississippi
May 4 2015 // State emergency officials said no injuries or major damage were reported Saturday night as two small earthquakes briefly shook central Mississippi – a part of the state where quakes are unusual. The U.S. Geological...
Earthquake Fault Puts California at Risk for Tsunami
May 4 2015 // Scientists say the earthquake fault that runs through the coastal city of Ventura, Calif., can produce strong shaking and dangerous tsunamis, prompting state officials to study whether to revise hazard maps. The new...
Penn. Nixes Fracking Exclusions in Earthquake Endorsements
May 4 2015 // The Pennsylvania Insurance Department issued a notice telling insurance companies that earthquake endorsements to homeowners insurance policies in Pennsylvania cannot exclude coverage for earthquakes that may be caused by...
Researchers in Oklahoma Developing Seasonal Tornado Forecasts
May 4 2015 // Weather researchers in Oklahoma are working on a method to develop seasonal tornado forecasts that could predict the likelihood of the severe storms weeks in advance. Harold Brooks, senior research scientist at the...
North Texas Hit with Tornadoes, Large Hail
May 4 2015 // The National Weather Service said as many as 12 tornadoes and hail the size of softballs pounded portions of north Texas during the weekend of April 24 – 26. The Insurance Council of Texas reported that the storms...
2 Lawsuits Over 2013 Arizona Wildfire Dismissed by Judge
May 1 2015 // Two lawsuits filed against Arizona by homeowners whose properties were destroyed by the Yarnell Hill Fire have been dismissed. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge agreed Wednesday with the state’s argument that it...
Indiana Township Gets Tornado Siren with Girl Scout’s Help
Apr 30 2015 // A small township east of Indianapolis has its first tornado siren thanks to the efforts of a Girl Scout. WISH-TV reports the siren was installed April 28 in the Hancock County community of Green Township. The nearest siren...
60K Auto Insurance Claims Expected from April Hailstorms in Texas
Apr 30 2015 // Multiple hailstorms in Texas over the second half of April are expected to result in at least 60,000 auto insurance claims, the Insurance Council of Texas reported. “Hail and windstorm claims are still coming in from...
California Suburban Wildfire Sparked by Power Tool
Apr 29 2015 // Los Angeles fire officials say a brush fire in California that that briefly threatened homes in a heavily populated suburban neighborhood was caused by sparks from a power tool that a homeowner was using to clear...
Hurricane Sandy Judges Demand Clearing of Settlement Roadblocks
Apr 28 2015 // Federal officials and flood insurance companies were chastised by a panel of New York judges for imposing delays on settlements with hundreds of Hurricane Sandy victims who alleged their claims were wrongfully denied or...
Update: Nepal Says Earthquake Rebuilding to Exceed $10B, Will Take Years
Apr 28 2015 // The cost to rebuild Nepal after its most devastating earthquake in eight decades will exceed $10 billion and take years, Finance Minister Ram S. Mahat said. The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude temblor on April 25 has...
Nepal Earthquake Losses Could Top $2 Billion; Sparse Insurance Coverage
Apr 27 2015 // The earthquake that struck Nepal caused about $2 billion in economic losses in the country, and only a fraction of the cost will be incurred by insurers, according to Kinetic Analysis Corp. Damage in India could cost an...
North Texas Hit with Tornadoes, Large Hail
Apr 27 2015 // The National Weather Service said as many as 12 tornadoes and hail the size of softballs pounded portions of north Texas overnight. The storms turned violent beginning near Rising Star in Eastland County and proceeded...
Seasonal Tornado Forecasts Being Developed by Oklahoma Researchers
Apr 27 2015 // Weather researchers in Oklahoma are working on a method to develop seasonal tornado forecasts that could predict the likelihood of the severe storms weeks in advance. Harold Brooks, senior research scientist at the...
Oklahoma Geologists Also See Earthquake-Injection Well Link
Apr 23 2015 // The Oklahoma Geological Survey said it is “very likely” that most of the state’s recent earthquakes were triggered by the subsurface injection of wastewater from oil and natural gas drilling...
