natural catastrophes News

Wildfire Near Athens Burns Area Nearly Twice the Size of Manhattan

A European Union satellite mapping agency says 104 square kilometers (40 square miles) of land was burned northeast of Athens this week during a deadly wildfire that gutted scores of homes and prompted multiple countries to send assistance. The Copernicus …

The Shaky Ground Below Istanbul Is Getting People Worried

When Turkish lender Denizbank paid more than $350 million for the building that houses its headquarters in April, the purchase cemented the bank’s place in Istanbul’s most expensive commercial district. Yet, almost as soon as the ink had dried on …

Ernesto Becomes Category 2 Hurricane as It Heads to Bermuda

Ernesto strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane as it plowed northward toward Bermuda, threatening to drench the British territory with heavy rain and unleash flash floods. The storm was 410 miles (660 kilometers) south-southwest of Bermuda according to an advisory …

Hard Reinsurance Prices Likely to Last Longer Than in Previous Market Cycles: Report

Hard reinsurance pricing conditions are likely to last longer than in previous market cycles mainly due to persistently high claims activity from the accumulation of medium-sized disaster losses and secondary perils, according to an AM Best report. As a result, …

Update: Severe Typhoon Skims Japan, Disrupting Flight, Train Services

Typhoon Ampil grazed Japan’s main island of Honshu on Friday, prompting cancellations of flights and trains in the middle of the country’s peak summer holiday season. Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. canceled some 90 international flights, impacting …

Hurricane Ernesto Threatens Bermuda, Leaves Puerto Rico in Dark

Hurricane Ernesto took aim at Bermuda as almost half of Puerto Rico remained without power in the storm’s wake, the island’s fragile electric grid battered by high winds. Officials declared a hurricane watch for Bermuda, saying Ernesto could strike the …

Floods Threaten Europe as Searing Heat Gives Way to Storms

Extreme heat in parts of Spain and France is giving way to storms and flood warnings, while Greece is bracing for more blazes after the huge wildfire near Athens was brought under control. Orange alerts are in place for a …

Athens Braces for Wildfire Flare-Ups as High Winds Return

Greek firefighters are working to bring the remnants of a huge wildfire near Athens under control, after wind speeds picked up again on Tuesday afternoon. The biggest blaze of the summer started northeast of the capital Sunday, fueled by strong …

Australian Pensions Industry Boosts Investments in Natural Catastrophe Reinsurance

The risks from the growing number of natural disasters offer Australia’s largest pension funds a chance to boost returns. Colonial First State, one of the nation’s biggest pension and wealth managers, is looking to add natural catastrophe reinsurance to its …

Japan Issued Its First ‘Megaquake’ Warning After Powerful Tremor

An earthquake off the coast of Japan’s southern island of Kyushu prompted the government to issue its first-ever warning for a megaquake from an undersea trough running along a swath of the country’s coast. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called off …