Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
National Hurricane Center Names New Director
Jan 28 2008 // The National Hurricane Center’s new chief said he would deal with problems behind the scenes and work to boost morale among staffers who helped oust the former director for his outspokenness. Bill Read, 58, had been...
More Atlantic Hurricane Activity Doesn’t Mean More Landfall Risk
Jan 27 2008 // New research on the link between the formation of hurricanes in the Atlantic basin and U.S. landfall activity suggests that using Atlantic basin hurricane activity as a proxy for landfall activity can lead to erroneous...
La.’s Valued Policy Law: New Teeth for Hurricane Claims?
Jan 27 2008 // Property damage from hurricanes primarily comes from two sources: wind and water. Insurance coverage for property damaged by wind, and by rain water which enters the property as a result of wind damage, is generally...
Southern California Wildfire Losses Could Top $2 Billion
Jan 27 2008 // The California Department of Insurance announced that 37,117 claims have been filed since the wildfires broke out in Southern California in October 2007, and 1,531 of those claims are known to be total losses. Insurers...
Texas Windstorm Issues Focus of Public Hearing Jan. 29
Jan 25 2008 // The Texas Department of Insurance will hold a public hearing on Jan. 29 to consider proposals by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association that concern both residential and commercial properties. TWIA is requesting...
WKF&C Offers Earthquake Deductible Buybacks Coverage
Jan 25 2008 // Tom Wilson, president of WKF&C Agency, Inc., has announced that his firm will be offering earthquake deductible buybacks from an A.M. Best-rated “A” admitted carrier. With all construction types...
Ark. Gov.: 5 Counties Disaster Areas Due to Tornado, Thunderstorm
Jan 16 2008 // Ark. Governor Mike Beebe declared Benton, Conway, Craighead, Poinsett and Pope Counties state disaster areas due to the damage caused by thunderstorms and tornadoes on Jan. 7 and Jan. 8. Beebe’s declaration releases...
Tornado in Ky. Brings $500,000 in Damage
Jan 15 2008 // Weather officials have confirmed a tornado touched down and caused damage last week in south central Kentucky. A storm survey team with the National Weather Service rated the tornado an EF-1, with maximum wind speeds of...
Frequency of Ohio Earthquakes Seems on the Rise
Jan 15 2008 // It was just a relatively small shake, an earthquake beneath Lake Erie that was a mild 3.1 magnitude that could be felt in some lakeshore communities. Still, Ohio seems increasingly prone to the shakes; there have been 25...
Risk Management Solutions Comments on French Windstorm Securitization
Jan 14 2008 // Risk Management Solutions gave details of the recent analysis it conducted for a securitization of windstorm risk in France. The securities were issued through Green Valley Ltd., a special purpose vehicle (SPV), and...
Stronger Earthquake Code Rules For Ark. On Hold
Jan 13 2008 // An Arkansas legislative committee in early January 2008 put off a review of the state’s building code after lawmakers questioned costs related to making structures withstand earthquakes that come once every 2,500...
Zero Consumer Complaints From Hurricane Humberto Claims
Jan 13 2008 // No consumer complaints have been received by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) in response to the insurance industry’s handling of the estimated 5,000 auto, homeowner and commercial claims that resulted from...
Southern California Wildfire Losses Could Reach More than $2 Billion
Jan 11 2008 // The California Department of Insurance announced that since the wildfires broke out in Southern California in October 2007, 37,117 claims have been filed, and 1,531 of those claims are known to be total losses, with an...
State Farm Wants Proof of Occupancy for Hurricane-hit Homes in La.
Jan 9 2008 // State Farm is warning that it will cancel homeowner policies for about 6,000 of its customers in south Louisiana if they aren’t able to demonstrate that their storm-damaged homes are occupied and are being...
Swiss Re Places $294 Million French Windstorm Bonds
Jan 8 2008 // Swiss Re announced that it has successfully structured and placed €200 million ($294 million) of securities covering windstorm events in France. The deal forms part of a three-year reinsurance agreement between Swiss Re...
Texas Recieved No Complaints from 2007 Hurricane Claims
Jan 8 2008 // No complaints have been received by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) on how the insurance industry handled any of the estimated 5,000 auto, homeowner and commercial claims that resulted from Hurricane Humberto, the...
Rules on Stronger Earthquake Codes for Ark. on Hold for Now
Jan 7 2008 // An Arkansas legislative committee has put off a review of the state’s building code after lawmakers questioned costs related to making structures withstand earthquakes that come once every 2,500 years. Firefighters...
Statistics Based on Atlantic Hurricane Activity Can Overestimate Risk
Jan 7 2008 // New research on the link between the formation of hurricanes in the Atlantic basin and U.S. landfall activity suggests that using Atlantic basin hurricane activity as a proxy for landfall activity can lead to erroneous...
Nationwide Raises Earthquake Coverage Deductible in Ohio
Jan 4 2008 // Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. is raising the deductible on its earthquake coverage because of the risk of major losses from an earthquake. Columbus-based Nationwide is raising the deductible from 2 percent to 5 percent...
New Mexico Residents Still Recovering from March 2007 Tornado
Jan 3 2008 // Jim and Iris Blevins still think of their modest tan house surrounded by trees as their real home, but nowadays they live in a fifth-wheel behind the house — one of hundreds of eastern New Mexico homes damaged by...
