Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Alabama Residents Fear the Worst, Prepare for Next Hurricane Season
Mar 22 2006 // A survey of residents in Alabama’s two coastal counties found many expect this hurricane season will be as bad or worse than last year, and they are making preparations, including buying generators. Forty percent of...
72 days and counting until 2006 hurricane season
Mar 20 2006 // Legislators are meeting across the Southeast to discuss a wide variety of insurance issues: Proposals in Florida would designate hurricane tax revenue to help pay for hurricane repairs; there are a dozen proposals in...
New Lloyd’s Policy Wording Covers Terrorist ‘Piracy’
Mar 20 2006 // As the oldest marine insurer in the world, Lloyd’s has long been aware of the menace pirates pose to shipping. These days, however, they aren’t the “Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum” kind of pirates,...
Scruggs: Whistleblower Helping in Hurricane Katrina Lawsuit
Mar 20 2006 // A high-profile litigator in Moss Point, Miss. said that a whistleblower is helping him build a case against insurers that allegedly denied thousands of claims from policyholders whose homes were destroyed in Hurricane...
Hurricane fatigue
Mar 20 2006 // One decried a system in which wealthy waterfront property owners are being subsidized by less affluent property owners and taxpayers: “If the state is going to continue to attract new residents, it will have to make...
Earthquakes, floods and wildfires … oh my!
Mar 20 2006 // “First and foremost, have some sort of plan. It doesn’t have to be a million dollar plan for the smaller operators but communication needs to be spelled out.” – David Losson In the wake of Hurricane...
Judges in New Orleans Trying to Fast Track Hurricane Lawsuits
Mar 17 2006 // Civil courts in New Orleans, La., have begun trying to speed up storm-related lawsuits – many of them against insurance companies – that deal with who should pay for property damages caused by hurricanes...
Insurers Seek to Boost Hurricane Insurance Along Texas Coast
Mar 16 2006 // Texas insurers are seeking state approval of a plan to bolster a windstorm insurance pool for coastal property owners at risk during hurricane season. The industry wants the Legislature to approve $800 million in bonds to...
Hiscox Weathers Hurricanes, But 2005 Profits Decrease
Mar 14 2006 // Hiscox Plc, the U.K.-based Lloyd’s and specialty insurer, released its 2005 preliminary results on Monday, March 13. Although Hiscox was one of many companies whose earnings were adversely affected by last...
Texas Responds to Deadly Wildfires in the Panhandle
Mar 14 2006 // Gov. Rick Perry said Texas is leading a coordinated effort to battle deadly blazes that have swept through the Texas Panhandle, burning about 663,000 acres and leaving at least 11 people dead. The Tradewind Aircraft...
Dale to Speak in Memphis About Hurricane Katrina
Mar 14 2006 // The trials and tribulations encountered after Hurricane Katrina will be discussed by Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance George Dale, the featured speaker during the Thursday, March 16 monthly meeting of the Independent...
Fla. Forum Topic: Disappearing Markets, Looming Hurricanes
Mar 14 2006 // Challenges like disappearing markets, looming hurricanes and the quest to add more to the bottom line will all be addressed during a Professional Insurance Agents of Florida Member Forum on May 12 in Orlando at the Caribe...
Hurricane-related Jobless Benefits Extended in La.
Mar 13 2006 // President Bush has authorized the extension of disaster unemployment benefits to individuals affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Louisiana Department of Labor announced. “Approximately 92,000 people whose...
100 Tornadoes Hit Midwest, Damage, Injury Totals Still Being Assessed
Mar 13 2006 // Heavy windstorms and tornadoes hit the Midwest yesterday causing major damage in five states. Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma were ravaged by high winds, rain and hail in addition to tornadoes. Several...
ICT: $1.5B Paid on Hurricane Rita Claims in Texas
Mar 6 2006 // The Insurance Council of Texas reported that insurance companies have settled 90 percent of property claims in Texas that were the result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Rita that struck in late September...
Windstorm panelists: Carriers hesitant to write policies in Florida
Mar 6 2006 // A panel of eight insurance experts agreed unanimously that carriers are closely scrutinizing Florida and are hesitant to renew homeowners policies. Bill Bailey, director of the Hurricane Insurance Information Center,...
Incentives could improve earthquake protection
Mar 6 2006 // There are opportunities to make California more earthquake-safe, according to the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). At the recent meeting of the Little Hoover Commission, a state oversight agency that...
Texas Windstorm Underwriting Workshops Planned for May/June
Mar 2 2006 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association announced it will hold “underwriting basics workshops” in various locations throughout the state. TWIA noted that these workshops will help new agents/agency personnel...
Hurricanes Drive 39% Decline in Net Income for Giant State Farm
Feb 26 2006 // Hurricane losses and loss adjustment expenses totaling $6.3 billion (after reinsurance) contributed to a reduction in State Farm’s 2005 net income. The company is reporting an after-tax net income from all sources of...
IBHS Calls for Incentives to Improve Calif. Earthquake Protection
Feb 24 2006 // There are clear opportunities for California to promote incentives to make homes and businesses safer from earthquakes, according to the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). At the Feb. 23 meeting of the...
