Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

4 Dead, Including 1 in Louisiana, as Twisters, Storms Batter the South

Dec 18 2019 // A swarm of tornadoes and storms that left a trail of destruction across the Southeast killed four people, injured a dozen more and left victims to bundle up against the cold as they picked up pieces of their homes...

Bankruptcy Judge Approves $13.5B PG&E Deal with California Wildfire Victims

Dec 18 2019 // A U.S. bankruptcy judge approved on Tuesday PG&E Corp.’s $13.5 billion settlement with victims of Californian wildfires, and the company’s stock rallied as the utility gained momentum to emerge from...

California and PG&E Reach $1.7B Deal on Wildfire Penalties

Dec 17 2019 // California utility regulators have reached a settlement with PG&E Corp. over violations tied to catastrophic wildfires ignited by the company’s power lines in 2017 and 2018.The proposed settlement would prevent...

Judge Rules U.S. Army Engineers May Be Liable for Hurricane Harvey Floods

Dec 17 2019 // Hundreds of Houston homeowners near U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-managed reservoirs may receive compensation for flooding of their properties during 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.The U.S....

PG&E Takes California Governor out of $13.5B Wildfire Deal

Dec 17 2019 // Bankrupt utility giant PG&E Corp. has removed a requirement that California Gov. Gavin Newsom sign off on its settlement with wildfire victims, trying to buy more time for its restructuring plan.PG&E reached an...

As California Thins Forests to Limit Wildfire Risk, Some Resist

Dec 16 2019 // Buzzing chainsaws are interrupted by the frequent crash of breaking branches as crews fell towering trees and clear tangled brush in the densely forested Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco.Their goal: To protect...

Hunt for Survivors Underway After Earthquake Hits Philippines Island Trade Building

Dec 16 2019 // Rescue teams in the southern Philippines searched for signs of life on Monday in a collapsed shopping center after a powerful earthquake that killed at least three people and wounded dozens more.Disaster response officials...

Tropical Storm Imelda: Another Unique Weather Event

Dec 16 2019 // Tropical Storm Imelda landed on the Texas Gulf Coast on September 17, 2019. Over the three-day duration of the storm, 43 inches of rain saturated some locations, with nearly 30 inches falling over a 12-hour period. Some...

Tornado Causes Minor Damage in Florida

Dec 16 2019 // Weather officials say a tornado caused minor damage after it touched down in Florida and traveled about 20 miles. According to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, the tornado touched down early Saturday morning...

Jefferson City Tornado-Related Insurance Claims Rise to More than $170M

Dec 16 2019 // State insurance officials say Jefferson City, Missouri, residents made more than $170 million in insurance claims after a tornado hit the city on May 22.Missouri Department of Insurance data shows insurers paid out more...

California Governor Rejects PG&E Bankruptcy Plan as Not Satisfying Wildfire Law

Dec 15 2019 // California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday rejected a bankruptcy reorganization plan submitted by PG&E Corp, the state’s largest investor-owned utility, saying its proposal fails to meet the requirements of a...

FAIR Plan Asks Court to Stop California Insurance Commissioner’s Order

Dec 13 2019 // Note: This is been updated with a statement from Lara’s office.The FAIR Plan today filed a petition for a writ of mandate seeking to have a court annul, vacate, or withdraw an order issued last month by the...

365 Days: Education, Mitigation and The Flood Insurance Guru

Dec 13 2019 // If it weren’t for Hurricane Katrina, Chris Greene might not have become an expert in all things flood related.Greene, a Georgia-based independent flood insurance agent, and founder and owner of The Flood Insurance...

Royal Caribbean Cruises Faces Potential Liability for New Zealand Volcano Deaths

Dec 12 2019 // Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s potential liability for a deadly excursion to a volcanic island in New Zealand could hinge on whether the eruption was an unforeseeable “act of God,” according to maritime...

Alaska Getting $36M Federal Grant for Earthquake Recovery

Dec 12 2019 // A federal agency awarded Alaska a $35.8 million federal grant to support earthquake disaster recovery efforts, officials said.The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the grant in response to the damaging...

Can Historic Towns Along Southeast Coast Endure Sea Rise?

Dec 12 2019 // Historic cities and towns along the Southeastern U.S. coast have survived wars, hurricanes, disease outbreaks and other calamities, but now that sea levels are creeping up with no sign of stopping, they face a more...

New Zealand Tragedy Raising Questions About Live Volcano Tourism

Dec 11 2019 // Tourists caught in the deadly blast at New Zealand’s White Island were there despite a recent increase in volcanic activity, although experts said precise predictions on eruptions were all but impossible.Five people...

Venice Floods, Australia Bushfires, India Cyclone Top November Catastrophes

Dec 11 2019 // Flooding and inland storms led to multi-billion-dollar economic loss in western and southern Europe during November, according to insurance broker Aon’s latest edition of its monthly Global Catastrophe Recap...

Texas Windstorm Insurer to Assess Members $90M for Harvey, Defer Action on Rates

Dec 10 2019 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association board of directors voted today to assess member insurance companies $90 million based on losses from Hurricane Harvey and voted to defer further consideration of action regarding...

8 People Presumed Dead After New Zealand Island Volcano Eruption

Dec 9 2019 // Eight people were missing and presumed dead on Tuesday after a volcanic eruption covered a small New Zealand island popular with tourists in hot ash and steam, killing five people and seriously injuring about 30 more.Prime...