Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Tornado Recovery in Nebraska Town Expected to Cost Tens of Millions

Jun 30 2014 // Nebraska officials are still tallying the cost of the tornadoes that destroyed most of the town of Pilger, but it’s expected to climb into the tens of millions. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency will send...

June Closes with Severe Storms; Tropical Storm Could Skirt East Coast July 4th

Jun 30 2014 // Forecasters are watching a potential tropical system that may skirt the U.S. East Coast this week, brushing past major Northeastern cities in time for the Fourth of July holiday. The collection of thunderstorms now about...

EF-1 Tornado Touches Down Near Indianapolis

Jun 26 2014 // A tornado-producing storm that hit central Indiana on June 24 damaged several homes in Indianapolis and its outskirts, downed power lines and uprooted trees, authorities said. It was one of several thunderstorms that...

Lawsuit: Arizona Mismanaged Deadly Wildfire

Jun 26 2014 // Dozens of property owners in central Arizona are suing the state, saying it failed miserably in its management of a wildfire that killed 19 Hotshots. The lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court seeks unspecified...

Tornado, Severe Storms Damage Homes in Ohio

Jun 26 2014 // Parts of Ohio are again cleaning up after severe storms rolled through — including a tornado that touched down in northeast Ohio. The National Weather Service confirmed a high EF1 or EF2 tornado touched down on June 23...

Louisville, Mississippi, Gets $10M Insurance Check for Tornado-Damaged Plant

Jun 25 2014 // The Norman Regional Health System in Oklahoma has donated $48,000 to the Winston County Medical Center in Louisville, Mississippi. Norman Regional Health System President and CEO David Whitaker says the company wanted to...

Tsunami Bulletin Issued Following Alaska Quake

Jun 23 2014 // A magnitude 8.0 earthquake triggered a tsunami warning for Alaska on Monday, according to a National Weather Service alert. The quake was located in the Rat Islands, which are part of the Aleutian Island chain. NWS said...

Louisiana Parish Sets Up Hurricane Re-Entry System for Businesses

Jun 23 2014 // Terrebonne Parish in Louisiana has a new emergency re-entry process for companies attempting to reopen after a mandatory hurricane evacuation. The Courier reported placards would replace company picture ID badges and would...

Minor Damage in Colorado From 4 Tornadoes

Jun 23 2014 // The National Weather Service has reported four tornadoes have been reported in northeast Colorado, but there has been no major damage. Three twisters were reported Saturday in Adams County and one in Weld County. The...

ACE Names Chen Underwriting Manager for Asia Property, Terrorism

Jun 23 2014 // ACE Group has appointed Cassie Chen as regional Property and Terrorism underwriting manager for Asia. She will be based in the Singapore regional office and will report to Jason Keen, head of Property for Asia. Chen joined...

Florida ‘Hurricane Tax’ Sent to Early Retirement

Jun 19 2014 // A1.3 percent surcharge on most property/casualty policies in Florida to help pay for past hurricane claims is coming to an end earlier than originally planned. The Florida Cabinet voted this week to end the assessment on...

Damage Assessment Begins After Twin Tornadoes Flatten Nebraska Town, Kill 2

Jun 18 2014 // A storm packing rare dual tornadoes tore through a tiny farming town in northeast Nebraska, killing two people, crumpling grain bins like discarded soda cans and flattening dozens of homes. Pilger’s 350 residents...

Wildfire Threatens Homes in New Mexico

Jun 18 2014 // Firefighters are bracing for another day of hot, dry and windy conditions as they battle a fast-moving wildfire in New Mexico. The Assayii Lake Fire blackened more than 19 square miles in less than two days while making...

Repairs Ongoing from Early June Hailstorm in Nebraska

Jun 17 2014 // The severe thunderstorms that spawned large hail and strong winds earlier this month left a lasting mark on many Nebraska communities. Aaron Volkman tells the Norfolk Daily News it will take weeks or even months to repair...

California Wildfire Evacuations Lifted, as Containment Rises

Jun 17 2014 // Evacuation orders were lifted Monday evening after firefighters made significant progress containing 50 percent of a smoky mountain wildfire west of a lake near Bakersfield, officials said. The blaze has destroyed three...

Weather Service Confirms South Carolina Tornado

Jun 17 2014 // The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down for a mile-and-a-half in Orangeburg County earlier this week. The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg said the tornado, with winds of up to 85 mph,...

Tornado Confirmed in Central Texas

Jun 16 2014 // Severe weather late on June 12 spawned a Central Texas tornado that damaged several homes and floodwaters that washed away a car and left its driver missing. The National Weather Service says a tornado packing winds of up...

N.H. to Map Hazardous Sites Most at Risk During Natural Disasters

Jun 16 2014 // New Hampshire is launching a new effort to inventory hazardous sites most at risk during natural disasters. New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan said on June 13 the effort will help the state target resources to reduce damage....

TWIA Financials Improved as Hurricane Season Starts

Jun 16 2014 // Low catastrophe activity and claims experience so far this year have helped to put Texas’ insurer of last resort for properties along the Gulf Coast in a better position to face the 2014 hurricane season than it has...

University of Alabama Researchers Show Small Changes Can Make Big Difference During Tornadoes

Jun 16 2014 // Surviving a tornado in a wood-frame residential home is enhanced by an intact roof and standing walls, but light-weight garage doors can be the weak link to allowing high winds and pressure changes into a home that can...