Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma to Host National Tornado Summit
Feb 4 2013 // Oklahoma will host its second annual national tornado summit in Oklahoma City March 10-12, the Oklahoma Insurance Department announced. Emergency managers, policymakers, insurance industry professionals, teachers, weather...
Georgia Insured Loss from Tornado Estimated at $75 Million
Feb 4 2013 // Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said last week’s tornadoes caused an estimated $75 million in insured losses. Authorities believe the tornado swelled to 900 yards wide — more than...
Colorado Politicians Mad Over Sandy Bill Minus Wildfire Aid
Jan 31 2013 // Colorado politicians are steaming that $125 million in aid for last year’s wildfires was removed from the Sandy relief bill. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives stripped that funding from the Sandy...
Half of 2012’s Global Economic Losses Due to U.S. Natural Disasters: Aon
Jan 24 2013 // While global economic losses were close to average in 2012, insured losses last year were 36 percent higher than the 10 year average ($72 billion vs. $53 billion) because the two most costly events of the year occurred in...
Wildfire Risk High in 2013 Due to Warm Weather, Drought, Warn Insurers
Jan 24 2013 // With a mild winter, relatively warmer weather in general, and drought conditions expected to continue in 2013, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is urging home and business owners to take action...
Willis Experts See North Africa Terrorist Threats Rising after Algeria Attack
Jan 24 2013 // Tim Holt, Head of Intelligence for Alert: 24, a new risk and crisis management consultancy from Willis Special Contingency Risks (SCR), followed up his earlier comments by warning that the “possible spread of Islamic...
Catlin Introduces ‘UK Asymmetric’ Terrorism Insurance and Crisis Response Product
Jan 23 2013 // London-based underwriting subsidiaries of the Bermuda-based Catlin Group Limited have introduced a new terrorism insurance product that includes unique crisis response services as well as coverage for chemical, biological,...
A Future Without the Terrorism Insurance Backstop?
Jan 18 2013 // The federal backstop that is widely credited with establishing today’s robust terrorism insurance market may be gone in just 24 months. The consequences could be severe, from reduced availability of coverage to...
Florida Looks to Restructure Its Hurricane Fund; Federal Option Proposed
Jan 18 2013 // Florida lawmakers are poised to consider restructuring the state-run property reinsurance facility by possibly lowering its mandatory annual capacity by billions due to concerns that one major storm could exhaust its...
Many Hostages in Gas Plant Siege Unaccounted for; New Terrorist Threats
Jan 18 2013 // At least 22 foreign hostages were unaccounted for on Friday and their al-Qaeda-linked captors threatened to attack other energy installations after Algerian forces stormed a desert gas complex to free hundreds of captives,...
Parish in Louisiana Files New Charges in Hurricane Gustav Flood Appeal
Jan 14 2013 // Officials in Louisiana’s Livingston Parish claim lies, bungling and withholding of information are grounds for reversal of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s decision to deny $46 million in waterway...
2011 Joplin Tornado Losses Could Reach $2B
Jan 11 2013 // State regulators say insurance claims from the May 2011 Joplin, Mo., tornado are likely to reach $2 billion. The tornado killed 161 people, injured hundreds of others and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and...
N.Y. Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Cap Hurricane Deductibles at $1,500
Jan 10 2013 // New York legislators have introduced a bill this week that seeks to cap the percentage-based hurricane deductibles for homeowners’ insurance or dwelling fire personal lines policy in New York State at $1,500. The New...
Aon Benfield December Cat Report: Philippines Typhoon, Extreme Weather
Jan 9 2013 // In its latest Global Catastrophe Recap report Impact Forecasting, the catastrophe model development center of excellence at Aon Benfield, focuses on Super Typhoon Bopha, which killed 1,901 people and injured 2,666 others...
PERILS’ Final Windstorm Andrea Loss Cost is $438 Million
Jan 4 2013 // PERILS, the Swiss-based cat modeling firm, has announced that its fourth and final loss report for windstorm Andrea, which affected the UK and Western Europe from 4 to 5 January 2012, is estimated at €336 million [$437.5...
Texas Builds ‘Hurricane Domes’ For Double-Duty
Dec 31 2012 // Most of the time, the windowless building with the dome-shaped roof will be a typical high school gymnasium filled with cheering fans watching basketball and volleyball games. But come hurricane season, the structure that...
Tornadoes Strike in Texas
Dec 26 2012 // Christmas Day along the Gulf Coast was filled with severe thunderstorms that brought drenching rains, high winds and damaging tornadoes while the nation’s midsection dealt with freezing rain, sleet and snow that made...
Texas Windstorm Insurer: Rates to Increase Jan. 1
Dec 26 2012 // Texas’ property insurer of last resort in coastal counties has issued a reminder to agents that while the maximum limits of liability for residential and commercial properties will remain the same in 2013 as they...
10 Families Displaced by Indiana Tornado Get New Homes
Dec 18 2012 // Saturday was an emotional, yet joyful day for Danielle Guthrie, when Habitat for Humanity handed her the keys to her new house in Henryville. “When they called to approve me, I was surprised. It was amazing,”...
Biologist: Tsunami Debris Overwhelming In Spots In Alaska
Dec 17 2012 // Debris that gathered this past summer on Alaska’s Kayak Island made walking on its beaches feel like walking through a natural disaster zone, a federal biologist said Thursday. Jacek Maselko, a biologist with the...
