Latest Windstorm Headlines

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

Texas Lawmaker Uses Jewish Slur in Windstorm Hearing, Then Apologizes

Nov 7 2011 // A Texas state lawmaker on Nov. 3 used a Jewish slur during a legislative committee hearing while telling officials not to delay or cheat people out of legitimate property insurance claims. Rep. Larry Taylor, of...

Accident Fund Will Cover Comp Claim for Joplin Tornado Survivor

Nov 7 2011 // Michigan-based Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America says it will honor the workers’ compensation claims for a man injured during the tornado outbreak in Joplin, Mo., earlier this year. Mark Lindquist, a social...

Accident Fund Will Cover Comp Claim for Joplin Tornado Survivor

Oct 25 2011 // Michigan-based Accident Fund Insurance Company of America now says it will honor the workers’ compensation claims for a man injured during the tornado outbreak in Joplin, Mo., earlier this year. Mark Lindquist, a...

More Dust Storms Expected as Texas Drought Lingers

Oct 24 2011 // The towering wall of billowing red dust roaring across the blue West Texas sky on Oct. 17 took Monroe Debusk back more than eight decades to the Dust Bowl years when he was growing up on his family’s cotton farm. The...

FEMA Warns N.Y. Residents to Avoid Scams in Wake of Tropical Storm Lee

Oct 17 2011 // New York residents are urged to be alert for potential fraud during recovery and rebuilding efforts following Tropical Storm Lee, officials with the New York State Office of Emergency Management (NYSEMO) and the Federal...

New Billing, Commission System at Texas Windstorm Pool Starts Jan. 1

Oct 13 2011 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) will be implementing a new billing and commission system beginning Jan. 1, 2012. In a bulletin to insurance agents, TWIA said under the new system it will assume the...

Tornado Damages Homes, Post Office in San Antonio

Oct 11 2011 // A small tornado touched down in San Antonio early on Oct. 9, damaging several homes and a post office. The overnight storm dumped more than 3 inches of rain on the city and left thousands without power, the San Antonio...

Tornadoes Offer Lessons in Disaster Response and Planning

Oct 5 2011 // In a year marked by a high number of severe and devastating natural catastrophes, one thing is evident — while rare, some situations are not survivable. For instance, if people or structures happen to be located directly...

Tornadoes Offer Lessons in Disaster Response and Planning

Oct 3 2011 // In a year marked by a high number of severe and devastating natural catastrophes, one thing is evident – while rare, some situations are not survivable. For instance, if people or structures happen to be located...

Oklahoma Governor Announces Storm Shelter Rebate Offer

Sep 30 2011 // Oklahoma homeowners will be eligible for a cash rebate of up to $2,000 for the installation of a qualified tornado shelter under a program announced by Gov. Mary Fallin. Using $1 million in federal grant money, the program...

Kansas Storm Damage Insurance Claims Set Record

Sep 30 2011 // Spring and summer storms in Kansas have led to more than $1 billion in insurance claims this year. The Kansas Department of Insurance reported that the 197,000 claims have been filed for property and crop damage. The...

Tornado Repairs Tracked in Minneapolis

Sep 29 2011 // City inspectors are fanning out across north Minneapolis, where some homes remain damaged four months after a tornado strike, to assess what can be done to help residents before winter arrives. ‘There are a number of...

Hurricane Center Tracking Hurricane Hilary off Coast of Mexico; Atlantic Storms

Sep 27 2011 // The National Hurricane Center in Miami is currently tracking Hurricane Hilary in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula. The NHC’s latest bulletin, issued at 2:00 a.m. PDT,...

Alabama Names Tornado Recovery Panel

Sep 19 2011 // Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has chosen the president and CEO of Protective Life Corp., Johnny Johns, and the publisher of The Birmingham News, Pam Siddall, to lead his Tornado Recovery Action Council. Retired aerospace...

Georgia Tornado Damage Estimated at $15M

Sep 12 2011 // Authorities estimate that a recent tornado and strong storms in north Georgia inflicted at least $15 million in damage. Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said that the damage estimate was preliminary and could grow as...

Storm Nate Fizzles After Landfall in Gulf of Mexico

Sep 11 2011 // Storm Nate weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday as it moved farther inland across the coffee and sugar growing state of Veracruz, in the Gulf of Mexico. Nate, which could still dump one to two inches of rain over...

Hurricane Center Tracking 3 Atlantic Storms: Katia, Maria and Nate

Sep 8 2011 // It’s a busy time of year for the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The NHC is currently following one hurricane – Katia, and two tropical storms – Maria and Nate. Katia is following the previously forecast...

Connecticut Asks Insurers to Waive Storm Deductibles for Irene Damages

Sep 6 2011 // Connecticut is negotiating with several insurance companies to waive hurricane policy deductibles for coastal homeowners whose properties were damaged or destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy...

After Drenching New Orleans, Tropical Storm Lee Threatens Southeast

Sep 5 2011 // After testing New Orleans’ flood defenses over the weekend, Tropical Storm Lee moved northeast Monday after weakening to a tropical depression, and threatened to bring heavy rains and flooding to a large section of...

Legislative Changes Aim to Limit Texas Windstorm Lawsuits

Sep 5 2011 // Legislative changes to the operation of Texas’ primary property insurer in coastal areas that go into effect Sept. 28, 2011, include an increased focus on mediation and arbitration of disputed windstorm claims and a...