natural catastrophes News

Storm Éowyn Set to Bring ‘Weather Bomb’ to UK and Ireland

Storm Éowyn will bring a “weather bomb” to Ireland and the UK, unleashing destructive winds and heavy rain, the Met Office forecaster said. People across Ireland were told to stay home Friday, with schools closing as severe weather warnings come …

Southern Taiwan Hit by 6.4 Magnitude Quake, TSMC Evacuates Some Factories

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous, rural area of Taiwan’s south on Tuesday near the city of Chiayi, the island’s weather administration said, with reports of minor damage. Chipmaker TSMC said it had evacuated staff at its factories in …

Will California’s FAIR Plan Have Enough Cash for Its Wildfire Claims?

There has been some question about whether California’s insurer of last resort – the FAIR Plan – has enough cash on hand to pay for its share of wildfire claims. As surplus is inadequate and reinsurance has a deductible that …

Cyber, Business Interruption, Natural Disasters Listed as Top 3 Business Risks: Allianz

Cyber, business interruption and natural catastrophes are the top three risks that concern global businesses, according to the Allianz Risk Barometer 2025. Cyber incidents, such as ransomware attacks, data breaches and IT outages, is the top global risk for 2025, …

Canadian Insured Losses From Catastrophic Events Total C$8.5 Billion in 2024: CatIQ

The magnitude of catastrophic events experienced across Canada in 2024 pushed the insured loss total for the region to C$8.5 billion (US$5.9 billion), according to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ), Canada’s insured loss and exposure indices provider. In addition …

Update: Re/Insurer Losses From LA Wildfires Expected to Be Significant but Manageable

Insurers are facing significant losses from the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires — given the high value of homes and businesses in the affected communities. However, those losses are likely to be manageable for both insurers and their reinsurers, with preliminary …

Insured Losses From Natural Disasters Hit $140B as Climate Change ‘Shows Its Claws’

Insurers saw the third most expensive year for natural catastrophe losses in 2024 – reaching a total of US$140 billion – as climate change “is showing its claws,” according to Munich Re. Overall economic losses from natural disasters worldwide reached …

Tibet Earthquake Kills at Least 126 People, Leaves Many Trapped

A strong earthquake shook a high-altitude region of western China and areas of Nepal on Tuesday, damaging hundreds of houses, littering streets with rubble and killing at least 126 people in Tibet. Many others were trapped as dozens of aftershocks …

China Says 32 People Killed, 38 Hurt as Earthquake Hits Tibet

China said 32 people have been killed and another 38 were injured by an earthquake that struck its far western region of Tibet. The epicenter of the magnitude 6.8 quake that hit around 9:05 a.m. Tuesday morning was in Tingri …

Australia Braces for Worsening Bushfires as National Park Burns

Fire restrictions are in place across the Australian state of Victoria as one of its most popular national parks burns and officials warn of potentially “catastrophic” conditions in some areas over Christmas. A large bushfire near the scenic Grampians National …