Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma Tornado Damage Likely to Exceed Joplin – Commissioner
May 21 2013 // The damage from Monday’s tornado in a suburb of Oklahoma City is likely to exceed that caused by the 2011 twister in Joplin, Missouri, that killed 161 people, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak said. In an...
Update: Oklahoma Tornado Was EF5
May 21 2013 // A new assessment by the National Weather Service indicates peak winds in the tornado that hit the Newcastle/Moore Okla., area on May 20 reached the 200 mph to 210 mph range, putting it into the classification of an EF5...
Storms Generate Iowa Tornado Damage, No Injuries
May 21 2013 // A storm system carrying high wind, hail and Iowa’s first tornadoes in nearly a year moved through the state Sunday, damaging some homes and knocking out power to thousands. No one was injured. Iowa had gone 358...
‘Major Disaster’ Declared in Wake of Deadly Oklahoma Tornadoes
May 21 2013 // An estimated EF4 tornado with a wind range of up to 200 mph roared through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, Okla., on May 20, leaving behind massive devastation and at least 24 confirmed dead. Earlier media reports...
Tornadoes Prompt State of Emergency Declaration in Oklahoma
May 20 2013 // Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has declared a state of emergency after tornadoes, severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding wrought devastation throughout her state on May 18 and 19. Beginning on Saturday, numerous...
Karen Clark’s New Program Creates Realistic Hurricane Tracks, Loss Estimates
May 20 2013 // Just in time for the 2013 hurricane season, Karen Clark & Co. (KCC), a catastrophe risk and modeling firm, has released a scientific tool for creating hurricane tracks and wind speeds. Named WindfieldBuilder, the tool...
May 16 Storm Produced 4 Tornadoes in Louisiana
May 19 2013 // A powerful thunderstorm in the afternoon on May 16 produced four tornadoes as it moved into Louisiana from Texas The National Weather Service, in a survey released Saturday, says all tornadoes had winds of 90 mph to 100...
NWS: At Least 16 Tornadoes in Recent North Texas Outbreak
May 17 2013 // At least 16 tornadoes have been confirmed in the outbreak in North Texas on May 15, federal weather officials say. Survey teams were sent to Johnson County, Hood County, Parker County, Ellis County and Montague County, the...
Florida Catastrophe Fund Financially Stronger on Eve of Hurricane Season
May 17 2013 // Florida is heading into a new storm season with some good news for once. The state-created fund that backs up private insurers in Florida is in the best financial shape it has been in years — maybe the best since it was...
Tornadoes Spin Through Texas Towns After Dark, Killing Six
May 16 2013 // At least six people were killed and 100 injured when tornadoes ripped through north-central Texas after dark and authorities said the death toll could rise as rescuers search through the rubble of destroyed homes. At least...
Terrorism & Political Violence Map: Aon Risk Solutions
May 15 2013 // The continued threat of a terrorist attack or political violence worldwide persists and is not going away anytime soon. Despite 19 countries showing improved terrorism and political violence ratings, according to...
Wildfires Break Out Near Possum Kingdom Lake in Texas
May 15 2013 // Wildfires have led to evacuation of about 30 residences in a North Texas community where 2011 blazes destroyed dozens of homes amid the drought. The Texas A&M Forest Service reported grass fires that burned about 100...
Mississippi High School Suffered $7M in Tornado Damage
May 15 2013 // Lamar County (Mississippi) School District officials said a Feb. 10 tornado caused $7 million in damage to Oak Grove High and its baseball and football facilities. The Hattiesburg-American reported that the district has a...
Feds: Another Tough Wildfire Season For West
May 14 2013 // Fire officials are poised for a tough wildfire season after another dry winter across much of the West, and made more challenging because federal budget cuts mean fewer firefighters on the ground, Interior Secretary Sally...
Georgia Regulator to Host Hurricane Preparedness Expo on June 15
May 14 2013 // The hurricane season is almost here and Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens is inviting the public to attend the 12th Annual Hurricane Preparedness Expo on June 15. Photo credit: Georgia Office of Insurance and...
Business Frets at Terrorism Tag of Marathon Attack
May 13 2013 // President Barack Obama’s declaration that the Boston Marathon bombings were an act of terrorism could make it difficult for many affected businesses to be reimbursed for losses resulting from the explosions. Federal...
Hurricane Center Working to Improve Storm Surge Forecasts After Wet 2012
May 9 2013 // Last year’s hurricane season drove home some big lessons, according to the nation’s chief hurricane forecaster: Storm surge and flooding are dangerous and difficult to predict, and sometimes it’s even...
April Brought Fewer Tornadoes But Severe Hail, Floods to U.S.: Aon
May 8 2013 // Parts of the U.S. suffered severe hail and flooding damage during April, although there were fewer tornadoes than expected. Impact Forecasting, the catastrophe model center at Aon Benfield, released its monthly Global...
Ongoing Dry Weather Raising New York Wildfire Danger
May 7 2013 // New York conservation officials say continuing dry weather has raised the danger of wildfires, advising rural and suburban residents that all residential brush burning is prohibited during the usually high fire risk period...
PERILS Expands Estimates to Include Earthquake, Flood in Italy
May 7 2013 // PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization providing industry-wide catastrophe insurance data, has extended its market coverage to include Italy, and will provide data for both earthquake and flood perils with...
