Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
NWS: Suburban Chicago Tornado Had 140 mph Winds
Jun 23 2021 // A tornado that swept through Chicago’s western suburbs, damaging more than 100 homes and injuring several people, was packing 140 mph winds when it hit the heavily populated area, the National Weather Service said. A...
Severe Storms, Tornadoes Cause Damage in Iowa, Missouri, Ohio
Jun 22 2021 // A tornado damaged several buildings and knocked down power lines and trees in eastern Iowa Sunday night; a tornado near the Ohio-Indiana border damaged houses and other structures; and several parts of Missouri were...
Firefighters in California Working to Contain Large Wildfire
Jun 22 2021 // California’s weather moderated after a long siege of extreme heat but firefighters still faced the difficult task of trying to contain a large forest fire in rugged coastal mountains south of Big Sur. The Willow Fire...
Arizona Governor Signs $100M Wildfire Funding Bill
Jun 21 2021 // Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed a bill rushed through in a special legislative session that provides $100 million in funding this year to battle wildfires, react to the damage they cause and to create a new force of...
Severe Thunderstorms, Tornado Slam Chicago; Injuries, Power Outage, Property Damage Reported
Jun 21 2021 // Severe thunderstorms tore through the Chicago area on Sunday night after the National Weather Service said a “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” had touched down in a western suburb of the city,...
$41M Recovered for Louisiana Consumers After Hurricane Claims Complaints
Jun 21 2021 // Complaints over insurance claims arising out of the three hurricanes that struck Louisiana last year had resulted in a recovery of $41 million for consumers by end of April, Louisiana insurance regulators say. The...
Close Calls in Colorado Spark Push for Wildfire Mitigation
Jun 21 2021 // As the Missionary Ridge Fire raged in 2002, the Valley Fire, a second fire, broke out and destroyed six homes within hours near the Falls Creek Ranch subdivision north of Durango, Colorado. When residents returned after...
Hurricanes: Not If, But When, How Many, How Intense
Jun 21 2021 // Like death and taxes, the annual hurricane season can be counted on as a sure thing. The number and intensity of named storms may vary each year, as well as where they occur and whether or not they make landfall. But...
Tropical Storm Claudette Pounds Gulf Coast with Rain, Floods
Jun 20 2021 // Jun 19 2021 — Thunderstorms and high winds on the east side of Tropical Storm Claudette battered the Florida panhandle and much of Alabama on Saturday, as the weather system moved toward the North Carolina coast. The...
Grim California Wildfire Outlook Has Insurers Forking Over Big Bucks for Modeling
Jun 18 2021 // Severe drought and searing temperatures are not the only proof that Californians should be worried about wildfires this year. A glaring piece of evidence that there’s ample cause for concern is this: those who will...
South Dakota Records Second Earthquake This Month
Jun 18 2021 // Another earthquake has been recorded in South Dakota, the fifth since December. According to the United States Geological Survey, a 2.6 magnitude quake was recorded about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday with the epicenter about 60...
Stormy Weekend: Tropical Storm Warning Issued for Gulf Coast, Louisiana to Florida
Jun 17 2021 // The National Hurricane Center’s updated its tropical storm warning for the Gulf Coast is in effect for east of Morgan City, Louisiana to the Okaloosa/Walton County line in Florida. The center has warned of heavy...
Drought Contributes to Rise in North Dakota Wildfires
Jun 17 2021 // The number of wildfires this year in North Dakota has increased significantly, according to state officials, who cite extremely dry conditions. Data collected by the North Dakota Forest Service and the state Department of...
California OKs Farmers and Zesty.ai Wildfire Risk Assessments, Will Bring 30K New Homeowners Policies
Jun 16 2021 // California regulators have approved a plan by Farmers Insurance to assess wildfire risk by using a tool that combines artificial intelligence with high-resolution aerial photography. The carrier said the Z-Fire risk...
Arizona Legislature Holding Special Wildfire Funding Session
Jun 16 2021 // The Arizona Legislature will convene in special session this week to consider adding $100 million in funding for fighting wildfires and to boost the amount of money available to clear hazardous brush and deal with the...
Study Says Earthquakes Are Increasing in U.S. Oil Regions
Jun 15 2021 // The number of noticeable earthquakes has been increasing year after year since 2017 in the key oil producing regions of the U.S., according to an analysis by an independent energy research firm. The analysis of seismic...
Russia Fights Wildfires in Siberia and the Far East
Jun 15 2021 // Russian emergency workers fought wildfires burning Sunday on more than 550 square kilometers (212 square miles) of territory mostly in Siberia and the Far East. The state agency responsible for fighting forest fires,...
Tropical Depression Off North Carolina Could Become Tropical Storm
Jun 14 2021 // Tropical Depression Two has formed off the coast of North Carolina and is heading away from the United States, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Monday. The depression is expected to become a tropical storm...
Connecticut Utilities Appeal Penalties Over Tropical Storm Response
Jun 14 2021 // Connecticut’s two largest electricity distributors have appealed millions of dollars in profit reductions imposed by the state for what regulators called the companies’ failures in preparing for and responding...
U.S. Sending $1 Billion to Farmers Hit by Natural Disasters in 2018-2019
Jun 14 2021 // The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release more than $1 billion in payments over the next several weeks starting June 15 for agricultural producers who suffered losses in 2018 and 2019 natural disasters. The...
