Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

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

Oregon Offers Insurance Wildfire Summit Workshops

Aug 1 2006 // The Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Office of State Fire Marshall, in partnership with Allstate and State Farm, is hosting Insurance Wildfire Summit workshops. Sessions will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on...

Hannover Re $150 Million Cat Bond Covers European Windstorm Risks

Aug 1 2006 // Germany’s Hannover Re announced that Eurus Ltd., a special purpose vehicle, has issued a CAT bond with a volume of $150 million, giving the reinsurer windstorm protection with immediate effect for a term of...

Indonesia Taking Steps to Reduce Tsunami Casualties

Jul 30 2006 // Indonesia plans to build elevated safety zones in low-lying coastal areas to help reduce casualties in the event of another tsunami, a government official said. Concrete walls or artificial hills will be created in resort...

La. Wants Hurricane Law Suit Extension Issue Settled in State Court

Jul 28 2006 // Louisiana plans to fight attempts by Allstate Corp. to have a federal court determine if new laws giving homeowners two years to file lawsuits against their insurers is legal. Allstate filed a suit July 20 asking U.S....

Allstate Says it Can Drop Basic Hurricane Coverage in La.

Jul 26 2006 // Allstate Insurance Co. officials say Louisiana state law allows the company to drop basic hurricane coverage for 30,000 policyholders in 18 coastal parishes – a stand that state Insurance Commission Jim Donelon is...

Congressional Hearing Meets on ‘Terrorism and the Insurance Market’

Jul 25 2006 // Two U.S. House subcommittees — the Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Oversights and Investigation, and the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk...

STUDY QUESTIONS EFFECTIVENESS OF EFFORTS TO DETER TERRORISM

Jul 24 2006 // Government attempts to deter terrorism can backfire and promote invigorated reprisals and a cycle of violence, according to a new study by University of Maryland researchers. The study is based on a review of what the...

Donelon orders insurers to extend hurricane claims period in Louisiana

Jul 24 2006 // Just over a month after asking insurers in his state to voluntarily do so, Louisiana Commis-sioner of Insurance Jim Donleon issued Directive 199 mandating that all companies insuring property in Louisiana extend the period...

FAIA cat team volunteers honored for helping during Hurricane Katrina

Jul 24 2006 // Veronica Della Porta, chairman of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, recognized catastrophe team volunteers who traveled to hard-hit areas and assisted victims during 2005, when hurricanes hit the southeast...

Hurricane consultant outlines mitigation steps

Jul 24 2006 // According to a consultant for the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Florida’s building codes, which were approved in 2001, are working. He also says that Hurricane Charlie was a “model” hurricane in the...

FAIA cat team volunteers honored for helping during Hurricane Katrina

Jul 24 2006 // Veronica Della Porta, chairman of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, recognized catastrophe team volunteers who traveled to hard-hit areas and assisted victims during 2005, when hurricanes hit the southeast...

Quake Triggers Tsunami Fears in Indonesia

Jul 24 2006 // An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 struck off Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on Sunday, causing residents to flee coastal areas in fear of a tsunami. Indonesian officials — who have been under fire for...

Ind. April Hailstorms Generate $560 Million in Claims

Jul 24 2006 // A wave of April thunderstorms that pummeled central Indiana with hail the size of golf balls, or bigger, has so far generated insurance claims totaling $560 million, making it one of the state’s costliest weather...

One Home Lost to Wildfire in Western Montana

Jul 24 2006 // A wildfire in western Montana destroyed a house and two outbuildings, a U.S. Forest Service official said Saturday. The fire, which has scorched about 4 square miles, is one of five large blazes in Montana, according to...

INTRODUCING H.E.A.T. – A Timely Security Solution for the Upcoming Hurricane Season

Jul 24 2006 // GRAND ISS has organized Special Security Teams solely focused on responding to devastating storm-related risks St. Petersburg, FL – GRAND ISS, a global provider of security, risk mitigation, and investigative...

HIGHER WINDSTORM RATES

Jul 24 2006 // Although many in the insurance industry don’t think they are going up enough, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (www.twia.org) is set to raise its rates effective Sept. 1 for new and renewal policies....

Two Miami Adjusters Arrested in $400,000 Hurricane Fraud Case

Jul 21 2006 // Two licensed public adjusters who fraudulently collected more than $400,000 from two insurance companies by submitting bogus contractor agreements have been arrested in Miami by detectives in the Department of Financial...

Tropical Storm Beryl Warning Continues for SE Mass.; Storm Watch Issued for Long Island

Jul 20 2006 // A tropical storm warning remains in effect as of 2 p.m. for southeastern Massachusetts from Plymouth to Woods Hole including Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. The National Hurricane Center...

Three Arrested in Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans Hospital Deaths

Jul 19 2006 // Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., announced that his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) has made three arrests in the investigation surrounding patient deaths at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans. The...

Lloyd’s: Stakes ‘Huge’ But Manageable If Major Hurricane Hits New York State

Jul 19 2006 // A Northeast hurricane hitting New York state could result in insured losses of $65 billion, Lloyd’s America President Wendy Baker warned today. “The stakes are huge,” Baker said in a speech to the...