Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Hurricane Beryl Roars Toward Jamaica on Destructive Path

Jul 3 2024 // Hurricane Beryl churned toward Jamaica with violent winds, heavy rains and a life-threatening storm surge that could cause more than $1 billion in damage.Beryl’s winds roared at 145 miles (230 kilometers) per hour...

Beryl Becomes Earliest Ever Category 5 Hurricane in Atlantic

Jul 2 2024 // Hurricane Beryl has strengthened after becoming the earliest ever Category 5 storm in the Atlantic, with the system heading toward Jamaica with life-threatening winds and heavy rainfall.Maximum sustained winds increased to...

California Wildfire Outlook: ‘A Challenging Season for Firefighters’

Jul 1 2024 // While the official start to California’s wildfire season is still a ways off, the best forecast of what’s ahead may be to look back on the year so far, and so far it’s been far busier for firefighters...

Maui Officials Highlight Steps Toward Rebuilding a Year After Deadly Wildfire

Jul 1 2024 // Nearly a year after wind-whipped flames raced through Kim Ball’s Hawaii community, the empty lot where his house once stood is a symbol of some of the progress being made toward rebuilding after the deadliest U.S....

‘Extremely Dangerous’ Hurricane Beryl Takes Aim at Caribbean

Jul 1 2024 // Hurricane Beryl, described by forecasters as “extremely dangerous,” is set to cause massive damage across the Caribbean’s Windward Islands on Monday.Beryl’s winds roared across the region at 120...

Study: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma Triggered Uptick in Flood Insurance

Jul 1 2024 // Short but severe flooding that followed hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017 triggered a nationwide increase in flood insurance take-up driven by a county’s social network proximity to flooded areas, says a new...

A Potential Atlantic Hurricane Is About to Clash With a Cloud of Saharan Dust

Jun 28 2024 // A cluster of thunderstorms is threatening to become the Atlantic’s next tropical storm or hurricane — if it can survive a cloud of dust from the Sahara.The storms southwest of the Cape Verde islands have a 70%...

People Moves: California Earthquake Authority Governing Board Appoints New CEO

Jun 28 2024 // The Governing Board of the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) named Tom Welsh CEO.Welsh was the chief legal and compliance officer. He has served as the interim CEO since January. He joined the CEA in 2019 as general...

Oregon Wildfire Growing After Active Day

Jun 27 2024 // A wildfire near La Pine, Oregon that has prompted evacuation orders grew to 3,889 acres on Thursday morning.The Darlene 3 Fire, which started Tuesday, is now 30% contained. Winds and warm temperatures on Tuesday resulted...

Report: Over 1,000 Properties Affected by New Mexico Wildfires to Cost $370M

Jun 27 2024 // More than 1,000 residential properties in New Mexico may have been damaged or destroyed by wildfires in New Mexico, according to property data firm CoreLogic.“Multiple, active wildfires in south-central New Mexico...

Containment Grows on Wildfire Near Site of Most Destructive Blaze in California History

Jun 26 2024 // Residents of a California area near the town of Paradise, the site of the state’s most destructive wildfire in history, were ordered to evacuate and roads were closed this week as a wildfire spread.The Apache Fire in...

Eastern Canada Wildfire Forces Evacuation of Hydro Plant Workers

Jun 26 2024 // A wildfire in an eastern Canadian province moved closer to a huge power plant on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of workers from a nearby town, officials said.“So (this is) very concerning,” Newfoundland and...

Washington Commissioner Asks Insurers to Extend Additional Living Expenses for Wildfire Victims

Jun 26 2024 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is asking insurers to extend the additional living expenses benefit for wildfire victims who are nearing their 12-month limit on that coverage.Many policies that include...

Velocity Risk Partners with LSU to Develop Gulf Coast Hurricane Model

Jun 25 2024 // Velocity HoldCo, the parent company for Velocity Risk Underwriters, announced a joint venture with Louisiana State University (LSU) on a Gulf Coast-central hurricane model.The model uses daily data to predict US hurricane...

Wildfire Threats Make Utilities Uninsurable in US West

Jun 25 2024 // Trinity Public Utilities District’s power lines snake through the lower reaches of the Cascade Range, a rugged, remote and densely forested terrain in Northern California that has some of the highest wildfire risk in...

Four Minor Early Morning Earthquakes Hit Southern California

Jun 24 2024 // Four small earthquakes occurred in California in the early Monday morning hours, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck near Cobb at a depth of 1.1 miles, a M2.9 quake hit two miles...

Containment Grows on New Mexico Wildfires, as Rains and Cooler Weather Help

Jun 24 2024 // Containment has grown on a pair of New Mexico wildfires that destroyed thousands of structures and forced the evacuation of more than 8,000 people.The Salt and South Fork fires have burned more than 25,000 acres. The South...

FEMA Is Ready for Hurricane and Wildfire Seasons, but Money a Concern

Jun 24 2024 // The head of the Homeland Security Department said Friday that the agency tasked with responding to disasters across the country is prepared as it goes into what is expected to be an intense hurricane and wildfire season...

Catastrophe Bonds Are Luring Retail Investors to High-Risk Debt

Jun 24 2024 // There was a time when investing in catastrophe bonds was the preserve of hedge funds and other sophisticated alternative asset managers. But after underpinning the best hedge fund strategy of 2023, the bonds are finding a...

Growing Wildfires in New Mexico Destroyed 1,400 Structures

Jun 20 2024 // A pair of wildfires in New Mexico continue to rage uncontained, destroying an estimated 1,400 structures, forcing the evacuation of more than 8,000 people, while rains also flooded parts of the state.The Salt and South...