Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas Forest Service: Southern Plains Wildfire Outbreak Possible this Spring
Mar 23 2021 // Texas A&M Forest Service and the National Weather Service have identified an extremely dangerous fire weather phenomena known as a Southern Plains Wildfire Outbreak, or SPWO, and are watching for it to occur in...
California County Adding Artificial Intelligence for Wildfires
Mar 23 2021 // Sonoma County officials say they will add artificial intelligence technology to help fight wildfires with a 24-7 monitor to track fire outbreaks. The technology will be added to the county’s network of wildfire...
Southeast Storms Spawned EF2 Tornadoes in Alabama, Miss., EF1 in Georgia
Mar 22 2021 // At least 10 tornadoes struck Alabama and Mississippi this week during a severe weather outbreak that could have been worse if temperatures hadn’t remained relatively low, forecasters said. Teams from the National...
Wisconsin Issues Wildfire Warning After 30-Plus Weekend Blazes
Mar 22 2021 // Wisconsin authorities are warning residents about weather conditions after more than 30 wildfires were reported throughout the state on March 20. Much of the state is under a burn ban due to forecasts of low relative...
Florida Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Lying About Hurricane Irma Damage
Mar 22 2021 // A Florida man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for lying about damage caused by Hurricane Irma. Steven Rembert, 49, of Orange County, was sentenced Monday in Orlando federal court, according to court...
Oregon Lawsuits Seek $1B from Pacific Power over Wildfires
Mar 22 2021 // Two new lawsuits filed in Marion County, Ore., seek more than $1 billion in damages from Pacific Power, claiming the utility’s negligence led to wildfires in the Santiam Canyon last year. The two lawsuits filed in...
Officials Say Oregon Dam Could Fail in Large Earthquake
Mar 19 2021 // The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has determined that a large earthquake, which is expected to occur again in the Pacific Northwest sooner or later, could cause the spillway gates of a dam in Oregon to buckle, resulting...
California Attorney General Challenges Housing Plans in Wildfire Areas
Mar 19 2021 // California’s attorney general is challenging some of the state’s largest suburban development projects as local officials weigh the risk of increasingly devastating wildfires against the state’s dire need...
Severe Storms Across Southeast Bring Tornadoes, NWS Warns of More Outbreaks
Mar 18 2021 // The U.S. National Weather Service said a regional outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes was possible on Thursday from parts of east-central Georgia and north-eastward across South Carolina and North...
Bill to Create Fund to Battle Washington Wildfires Moving Through Legislature
Mar 17 2021 // A bill to create a dedicated fund to prevent and fight wildfires in Washington easily passed the state House of Representatives and will be sent to the state Senate. The bill, promoted by Commissioner of Public Lands...
Cluster of Earthquakes Rattles South-Central Kansas
Mar 16 2021 // A cluster of earthquakes with epicenters in east Wichita have rattled south-central Kansas over two days, the strongest one about a magnitude 3.9. The Kansas Geological Survey reported on its website five quakes Sunday and...
Homes Damaged by Kansas Tornado
Mar 16 2021 // Severe thunderstorms rolled through the Kansas City area on March 15, spawning at least one brief tornado touchdown that damaged homes and downed fences and tree limbs. The National Weather Service said on Twitter that law...
Earthquake Early Warning System Launches in Oregon
Mar 16 2021 // People in Oregon will be better prepared for earthquakes – particularly important in the Pacific Northwest because experts say “the big one” is coming – as an early warning system launched Thursday, the...
Tornadoes in Texas Panhandle, No Injuries Reported
Mar 15 2021 // Several suspected tornadoes touched down Saturday afternoon in the Texas Panhandle between Lubbock and Amarillo, according to the National Weather Service, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. Two possible...
Oregon Lawsuits Seek $1B From Pacific Power over Wildfires
Mar 12 2021 // Two new lawsuits filed in Marion County, Ore., seek more than $1 billion in damages from Pacific Power, claiming the utility’s negligence led to wildfires in the Santiam Canyon last year. The two lawsuits filed...
More Than 2,300 Acres Burned by 24 Wildfires in Alabama
Mar 10 2021 // Wildfires have burned more than 2,300 acres of land across Alabama in recent days, forestry officials said Monday as firefighters battled two dozen blazes statewide. Fire charred 560 acres in St. Clair County, and two...
Mosaic Begins Underwriting War, Terrorism & Political Violence Risks Globally
Mar 9 2021 // Mosaic, the new Bermuda-based global specialty insurer, announced it has begun underwriting war, terrorism and political violence risks globally out of offices in London and New York. Mosaic will offer tailored coverage...
Sinkholes Emerge After Croatia’s Deadly Earthquake in December
Mar 8 2021 // MECENCANI, Croatia – After the deadly earthquake came the sinkholes. A central Croatian region about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of the capital, Zagreb, is pocked with round holes of all sizes, which appeared...
Earthquake Warning System Rolling Out in Oregon, Washington
Mar 8 2021 // The earthquake early warning system known as ShakeAlert will be capable of delivering alerts directly to wireless devices in Oregon on March 11 and to Washington state in May, completing the West Coast rollout, the U.S....
California Commissioner Wants Rate Transparency Rules for Wildfire Risk
Mar 8 2021 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has proposed new rules to give homeowners and businesses open access to their properties’ wildfire risk scores. The new rules would require insurance companies to...
