Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Fast-Moving Southern California Wildfire Torched Hillside Homes, Forcing Evacuations

Aug 7 2024 // A fast-moving wildfire that swept into a Southern California hillside community this week destroyed five homes and damaged three others, authorities said.The flames erupted Monday afternoon and chased residents from the...

Virginia Declares State of Emergency in Anticipation of Tropical Storm Debby

Aug 7 2024 // Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency for Virginia based on National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center forecasts that indicate the state could see significant rainfall and flooding from Tropical...

Small Tornado Briefly Swept Into Buffalo, Damaging Buildings, Scattering Tree Limbs

Aug 7 2024 // A small tornado took Buffalo by surprise Monday, damaging buildings, flipping cars and sending debris swirling over downtown.A spiraling column was caught on multiple videos shortly before 1 p.m. One video showed the cell...

Hurricane Debby Data Due to Florida OIR Thursday and Friday

Aug 7 2024 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation said it is reminding property insurers in the state to file Hurricane Debby claims data Thursday and Friday this week.Insurers should use the Simplified 2024 Catastrophe Reporting...

‘We’re Going to Survive and It’s Going to Come Back’: A Year After Maui Wildfire, Survivors Press on

Aug 7 2024 // They have combed the ashes for mementos, worried about where they would sleep, questioned their faith and tried to find a way to grieve amid the great, unsettling devastation. Residents have faced a year of challenges,...

UK Faces High Wildfire Risk After Spell of Warmer Weather

Aug 6 2024 // Europe’s wildfire risks are extending as far north as the UK after a recent spell of hot weather.Parts of southeastern England, including areas around London, face high wildfire risks later this week, according to...

Hurricane Debby Brings Six Deaths, Widespread Flood Losses in Florida, Georgia, SC

Aug 6 2024 // Hurricane Debby left at least six people dead Monday along with widespread flooding in the same parts of Florida and Georgia that were swamped by Hurricane Idalia less than a year ago.Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee,...

Texas Carbon Monoxide Poisonings Spike After Hurricane Beryl

Aug 5 2024 // Texas lawmakers nearly three years ago promised changes to prevent the devastation from a deadly winter storm from happening again. But the damage caused by Hurricane Beryl last month shows that much remains the same,...

Containment Increased on Massive Wildfire, 640 Structures Destroyed

Aug 5 2024 // Firefighters have increased containment on the 627-square-mile Park Fire near Chico, California, which is now 34% contained.The fire, now the fourth largest wildfire in history, is 401,740 acres. It was 24% contained on...

Hurricane Slams Florida After Gaining Fury in Warm Waters

Aug 5 2024 // Hurricane Debby slammed into Florida southeast of Tallahassee as a Category 1 storm after intensifying over warm waters, the latest evidence that this will be a robust season for tropical cyclones.The storm’s top...

Legislation Will Provide $100M in Aid to Victims of Wildfires and Flooding in New Mexico

Aug 5 2024 // New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed legislation that will provide $100 million in emergency aid to victims of recent wildfires and flooding in Lincoln County.The spending bill includes $70 million for local...

Insurers’ Losses from Hurricane Beryl Will be ‘Readily’ Absorbed

Aug 5 2024 // Insurers’ losses from Hurricane Beryl will be “low and readily absorbed” and the storm is not expected to change pricing conditions in the property/casualty and reinsurance sectors, Moody’s...

California Wildfire Now State’s Fourth Largest on Record, Containment Increased

Aug 2 2024 // Firefighters have increased containment on the Park Fire near Chico, California, which at 621-square-miles as of Friday is now the fourth largest wildfire in history.The fire, which covers parts of four counties—Butte,...

Toilet Paper and Flat Tires: The Strange Ways Californians Ignite Wildfires

Aug 2 2024 // Of all the insidious threats faced by wildland firefighters — extreme heat, desiccated forests, unpredictable fire behavior and a nearly year-round fire season — what might be the most fearsome?Humans. People do...

Oil and Gas Power Lines Suspected of Causing Texas Panhandle Wildfires

Aug 1 2024 // When a spate of wildfires tore across the Texas Panhandle in February and scorched 20,000 acres of Craig Cowden’s ranch near Skellytown, he decided he had had enough. Cowden took on a second unofficial job: looking...

Hurricane Could Drain Florida Cat Fund’s Reserves. But That May Be OK, Report Says

Aug 1 2024 // A report from Moody’s Ratings service contends that one good hurricane this year could wipe out the Florida Cat Fund’s reserves, potentially forcing it to place a small surcharge on Florida insurance premiums...

North Macedonia Seeks EU Assistance as Wildfires Burn Across the Balkans

Aug 1 2024 // SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — North Macedonia said it was seeking further assistance from the European Union Tuesday to combat wildfires that continue to burn out of control in heatwave temperatures and have crossed the...

Verisk’s PCS Classifies CrowdStrike Incident as a Cyber Catastrophe

Jul 31 2024 // Verisk’s Property Claim Services unit confirmed reports it has designated the recent global information technology outage as a cyber catastrophe event.With the designation, PCS Global Cyber believes what has come to...

600-Square-Mile-Plus Wildfire in California Now State’s Fifth Largest on Record

Jul 31 2024 // The Park Fire near Chico, California, at 609 square miles is now the fifth largest wildfire in history, destroying 277 structures and damaging 29, according to CalFire.The fire covers four counties—Butte, Plumas, Shasta,...

French Farmers Facing ‘Catastrophic’ Harvest Seek State Help

Jul 31 2024 // French farmers are calling on the government to provide financial aid as there’s a high risk that this year’s wheat harvest will be the lowest in at least a decade because of heavy rains.Three weeks into the...