Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Tornado Damages Dozens of Homes in Ocala
Apr 23 2015 // Authorities say a tornado touched down in an area of north Florida where dozens of homes were damaged by wind and failing trees. The Ocala Star Banner reported that no one was injured but at least a half dozen homes...
Texas Earthquake Swarm Linked to Drilling, Wastewater Injection
Apr 22 2015 // With real-time monitors, scientists have linked a swarm of small earthquakes west of Fort Worth, Texas, to nearby natural gas wells and wastewater injection. In 84 days from November 2013 to January 2014, the area around...
Earthquake Fault Puts California at Risk For Tsunami
Apr 21 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 Los Angeles...
Judge Rejects Effort to Undo California Wildfire Settlement
Apr 20 2015 // A judge has rejected a California timber company’s attempt to undo a $47 million legal settlement for a massive 2007 wildfire. Sierra Pacific Industries had accused federal prosecutors of engaging in misconduct. But...
Settlement Talks Continue in Arizona Wildfire Wrongful Death Case
Apr 20 2015 // Parties in a wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire say they need more time to discuss a settlement. Lawyers for the sides told a U.S. District Court judge on Friday that they’re working in...
Forecasters: Slow Hurricane Season Expected in 2015
Apr 20 2015 // The Atlantic hurricane season in 2015 will see fewer than the average number of storms, according to Colorado State University researchers. Philip Klotzbach and William Gray said cooler ocean temperatures and the...
Industry, Consumer Group Spokesman Express Opposition to Texas Windstorm Bill
Apr 20 2015 // It’s not often you find an area of agreement between the property/casualty insurance industry and consumer advocacy organizations, but a Texas bill addressing the state’s coastal windstorm insurance pool has...
Family Donates $1M to Louisiana Hurricane Museum
Apr 20 2015 // The National Hurricane Museum and Science Center in Lake Charles, La., has received a financial shot in the arm, with a $1 million donation by the Stream family. Gray Stream, the center’s board chairman, told the...
Pacific May Signal South Tornadoes
Apr 20 2015 // Southern states might look to the Pacific for an idea of what the future holds for tornado activity. The waters of the Pacific Ocean may provide some clues about tornadoes in the South, according to a paper in the journal...
Forecasters See Calm Hurricane Season
Apr 20 2015 // The Atlantic hurricane season in 2015 will see fewer than the average number of storms, according to Colorado State University researchers. Researchers Philip Klotzbach and William Gray said that cooler ocean temperatures...
Philippines Eyes Catastrophe Bonds to Cut Post-Typhoon Rebuilding Costs
Apr 17 2015 // The Philippines suffered $13 billion of damage when Super Typhoon Haiyan tore through the country in 2013, a year after another storm killed 1,067. Now, the nation is looking at defraying the costs of future calamities...
Penn.: Fracking Exclusion Not Allowed in Homeowners Earthquake Endorsements
Apr 15 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...
Pacific Northwest Study Says More Could Survive Tsunami if They Can Just Walk Faster
Apr 15 2015 // About 5,500 more people could survive a major tsunami hitting the Pacific Northwest if they just walk a little faster to higher ground after roads are knocked out, a new study shows. The report published Monday in the...
M3.5 Earthquake Felt Across Los Angeles Area
Apr 14 2015 // A small earthquake was felt across a wide area of Los Angeles on Sunday night, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injury. The magnitude-3.5 quake struck at 9:17 p.m., the U.S. Geological Survey said. Los...
U.S. Judge Upholds Liability of Arab Bank for Terrorist Financing
Apr 13 2015 // A U.S. judge on Wednesday rejected Arab Bank Plc’s bid to overturn a jury verdict finding it liable for knowingly supporting terrorism efforts related to a series of attacks in the Middle East. The Jordan-based bank...
Alabama Implementing New Weather Service for More Precise Tornado Warnings
Apr 10 2015 // As tornado season begins in the Tennessee Valley, the National Weather Service is implementing a warning system designed to give more specific information on approaching storms. Piloted last year in the Midwest, the...
Midwest Storms Continue; At Least 1 Killed in Illinois Tornado
Apr 10 2015 // One person was reported killed and several others injured when a large tornado swept through Northern Illinois on April 9. The Illinois towns of Fairdale, Rochelle and Kirkland sustained major damage. Fairdale, a community...
RMS Releases Updated Europe Windstorm, North Atlantic Hurricane Models
Apr 10 2015 // RMS, the Newark, Calif.-based catastrophe risk management firm, has released updated RMS Europe windstorm models and North Atlantic hurricane models. The 15.0 RMS Europe Windstorm Models’ hazard and vulnerability...
Why Homeowners Should Worry Despite ‘Calm’ Hurricane Forecast
Apr 10 2015 // The Colorado State University hurricane forecast for the Atlantic Ocean came out Thursday and called for seven named storms. That would be the fewest since 1997. The CSU forecast will be followed soon by a host of others,...
Calm Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Due to Cooler Seas, El Nino
Apr 9 2015 // The Atlantic Ocean may have one of its quietest hurricane seasons in decades because of cooler water in the Atlantic and an El Nino in the Pacific, Colorado State University forecasters said. William Gray and Phil...
