hazard News

CoreLogic & Academic Institutions: The Future of Catastrophe Risk

This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. First on the Market Ten years ago, CoreLogic® (at the time, EQECAT) introduced the use of global Atmosphere-Ocean-General-Circulation Models (AOGCM) for insurance-oriented assessments of windstorms in Europe. They were used …

Scientists Warn of Hazards from Kilauea Lava Inching toward Ocean

The lava flow from Kilauea’s Puu Oo in remains active and is now only about a half a mile away from the ocean The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that the lava had been circulating and occasionally spattering at Halemaumau Crater. …

Report: 4.5 Million Homes in 13 States at Extreme Wildfire Risk

A report issued today shows 4.5 million U.S. homes at high or extreme risk of wildfire as the multi-year drought continues. The report’s author said the worsening drought means 2015 has the potential to be one of the most devastating …

California’s Next Mega Fire, This Could be The Year

When Thomas Jeffery visits states like California, he likes to take some time out to drive around and take a hard look at the conditions and the landscape. As a scientist, Jeffery feels this helps put first-person observations into his …

Oasis’ ‘Open Source’ Cat Model – a User Friendly Game Changer?

“We’ve been working on the development of an open source framework for catastrophe models for the last three years, but the idea for the project originated well before,” said Trevor Maynard, Head of Lloyd’s Exposure Management and Reinsurance team, in …

Idaho Frozen Food Company Settles With EPA

An Idaho frozen food company has agreed to pay the Environmental Protection Agency $84,000 for failing to report its possession of hazardous chemicals to safety officials. The EPA said Monday the Caldwell facility of Rhodes International, Inc. stored large quantities …

Earthquake Hazard in Washington To Be Studied

The federal government is going to take another look at the potential earthquake hazard at Hanford in Washington. The seismic assessment will update the Department of Energy’s last comprehensive analysis in 1996. The Tri-City Herald reported new understanding of seismic …

Family Sues UDOT Over Teen’s Death At Sinkhole

The family of a 15-year-old Tabiona girl who died when their Ford Excursion crashed into a 20-foot-deep sinkhole is suing the Utah Department of Transportation. The parents of Justine Barneck said road crews failed to warn motorists of the hazard …

Utah Offers New Earthquake Hazard Maps for Salt Lake County

Utah is selling new maps that show the shaking intensity of earthquakes for the west half of Salt Lake County. The set of 10 maps also spotlights the risks of landslides, rock falls, floods, radon gas and other hazards in …

Canada, Other Countries Block Asbestos from UN Hazardous List

Chrysotile asbestos will not be listed as a hazardous industrial chemical that can be banned from import after countries including Canada and Ukraine blocked consensus, a United Nations spokesman said on Friday. The decision was taken at a meeting of …