natural catastrophes News

Here’s Why Experts Don’t Think Cloud Seeding Caused Dubai Flooding

With cloud seeding, it may rain, but it doesn’t really pour or flood — at least nothing like what drenched the United Arab Emirates and paralyzed Dubai, meteorologists said. Cloud seeding, although decades old, is still controversial in the weather …

Catastrophe Monitoring Firm ICEYE Completes $93 Million Funding Round

ICEYE, the microsatellite manufacturer and catastrophe monitoring company, announced definitive agreement signed for an oversubscribed $93 million growth funding round. The financing will further accelerate investment in the world’s largest constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites and expand the …

Wildfires in Canada’s Oil Sands Region Prompts Evacuation Orders

Wildfires erupted across Canada’s main oil producing province of Alberta and an evacuation order was issued as the region braces for a repeat of last year’s unprecedented season. Members of the indigenous first nation community of Cold Lake Number 149, …

Dubai Floods Expose Weaknesses to a Rapidly Changing Climate

The heavy rains that flooded Dubai last week halted air traffic, damaged buildings and streets — and left climate experts and common citizens asking whether one of the world’s hottest and driest cities should be better prepared for extreme storms. …

Global Insured Natural Disaster Claims Again Dominated by Severe US Storms: Gallagher

Global insured losses from natural catastrophes in the first quarter were estimated at $20 billion, with US claims accounting for more than $15 billion, or 75%, of the Q1 total, according to a Gallagher Re in a report. Despite a …

Dubai’s Record Rain Floods Expensive Homes and Halts Flights

Dubai flights have been severely disrupted and cars were left stranded on flooded roads after record rainfall over the past day brought the city to a standstill. The United Arab Emirates experienced its heaviest downpour since records began in 1949, …

Rupture on TC Energy’s NGTL Gas Pipeline Sparks Wildfire in Alberta

A section of TC Energy’s NGTL gas pipeline system in Alberta ruptured and caught fire on Tuesday, sparking a wildfire in a remote area, the company said. “An initial ignition of natural gas at the rupture site is now extinguished. …

Inflation Continues to Increase Insured Property Exposures Globally: PERILS

Inflation continues to have an effect on property exposures with sums insured for European windstorm increasing by 10.1% year-on-year at constant euro exchange rates, at similar levels to 2023, according to PERILS AG, the independent Zurich-based company that provides industry-wide …

‘Zombie Fires’ Smoldering Near Oil and Gas Wells Threaten Canada’s Drillers

Leftover blazes from last year’s record wildfire season in Canada are threatening to knock out almost 3% of the country’s natural gas production. A total of 50 so-called zombie fires still smoldering beneath layers of snow are located near oil …

Drought, Heat Raise Risk of Repeat of Canada’s Record-Breaking Wildfires of 2023

Canada’s emergency preparedness minister warned Wednesday the country’s wildfire season could be more explosive than last year when it led to unprecedented smoke conditions across much of the country and into the United States. Persistent drought and months of above-average …