Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Allstate Reports May Pretax Catastrophe Losses of $1.4B

Jun 20 2024 // Allstate Corp. on Thursday reported May pretax catastrophe losses of about $1.4 billion.The Northbrook, Illinois-based insurer said 14 events contributed to nearly $1.5 billion in catastrophe losses for May, with 70%...

Tropical Storm Alberto Strengthens as System Approaches Mexico

Jun 20 2024 // Tropical Storm Alberto is strengthening as the system neared the Gulf coast of Mexico, and is expected to dump heavy rain across the northeast of the country and into southern Texas.The center of Alberto is expected to...

Northern California Wildfire at 15K-Plus Acres, Containment Grows on Fire in South

Jun 19 2024 // A wildfire is raging through a large swath of western Sacramento Valley after igniting on Monday and spreading to 15,656 acres.Evacuations were ordered in rural areas around the Sites Fire in Colusa County, which is...

New Mexico Wildfires Spread to 20,000 Acres, Forcing Thousands to Evacuate

Jun 19 2024 // A pair of wildfires in New Mexico have spread to more than 20,000 acres, forcing thousands of people to evacuate and leaving one person dead.The South Fork and Salt fires have grown to more than 20,000 acres (16,335 for...

Tropical Storm Alberto to Bring Flooding to Coastal South Texas

Jun 19 2024 // Tropical storm Alberto has caused flooding and more than three feet of storm surge in parts of coastal south Texas but is not expected to strengthen to hurricane force, meteorologists say.Alberto is the first named storm...

New Mexico Town Ordered to Evacuate Due to Large, Uncontained Wildfire

Jun 18 2024 // Residents of a New Mexico town were ordered to flee their homes on Monday due to a fast-moving wildfire.The town of Ruidoso, with roughly 7,000 residents, was ordered to immediately evacuate from the South Fork and Salt...

Potential Tropical Storm in Southern Gulf of Mexico Gathers Strength

Jun 18 2024 // Tropical storm watches have been posted along the Texas and Mexican coasts as a low-pressure system gathers strength in Bay of Campeche at the southern end of the Gulf of Mexico and threatens heavy rain across Central...

Underwater Fault Could Devastate West Coast With Major Quake and Tsunami

Jun 18 2024 // New research is warning about an underwater fault that could devastate the West Coast with a major earthquake and tsunami.Seismologists have issued warnings that the Cascadia Subduction Zone, an offshore fault from British...

Severe Storms Caused $722M in Catastrophe Losses in May: Progressive

Jun 17 2024 // Progressive on Friday said severe storms mostly in Texas and the Midwest caused about $722 million in net catastrophe losses to the insurer.In its monthly announcement of financial results on Friday, the Mayfield Village,...

Strong Winds Driving Southern California Wildfire

Jun 17 2024 // Strong winds drove a wildfire that forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 visitors to a recreation area and threatened nearby properties over the weekend.Flames burned through dry brush along Interstate 5 north of Los...

Potent Hurricane Weather Pattern Continues to Take Shape, Forecaster Says

Jun 17 2024 // The hurricane season continues to look like it will be a highly active one, as a potent and portentous weather pattern continues to take shape, an AccuWeather meteorologist told Claims Journal on Friday.“It certainly...

Oregon Wineries and Vineyards Seek $100M from PacifiCorp for Wildfire Smoke Damage

Jun 17 2024 // Dozens of Oregon wineries and vineyards have sued PacifiCorp over the deadly 2020 wildfires that ravaged the state, alleging that the utility’s decision to not turn off power during the Labor Day windstorm...

Busy Hurricane Season Could Test North Carolina’s ‘Weakened’ Building Codes, Experts Say

Jun 17 2024 // The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, predicted to be unusually intense, officially began this week and it could soon bring the first test of a North Carolina law that some insurance experts have said weakens building codes...

Hurricane Season Ushered in With a Deluge in South Florida

Jun 14 2024 // Dangerous flooding from a tropical disturbance inundated much of southern Florida on Wednesday, blocking roads, floating vehicles and delaying the Florida Panthers on their way to Stanley Cup games in Canada against the...

Catastrophe Bond Sales Soar as Markets Brace for Unusually Active Hurricane Season

Jun 10 2024 // Issuance of catastrophe bonds just hit a record high, as the market braces for a rough hurricane season with the potential to do substantial damage.Sales of so-called cat bonds are 38% higher this year through May than...

ShakeAlert Adding Satellite Capabilities for Earthquake Warnings

Jun 10 2024 // The U.S. Geological Survey and its partners have come out with a new capability designed to characterize large earthquakes quickly in hopes of helping warn the public about potentially damaging shaking headed their way.The...

A Perfect Storm: Looking Ahead to the 2024 Hurricane Season

Jun 7 2024 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic.The Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States are officially in hurricane season, which every year starts on June 1 and lasts through the end of November. People...

Louisiana’s Temple Meets With Insurers Ahead of Potentially Active Hurricane Season

Jun 7 2024 // Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple recently met with 20 property and casualty insurers ahead of this year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season to make sure insurers are prepared to handle claims following a hurricane...

Emerald Bay and Arrowhead Launch Commercial Earthquake Facility in California, Pacific Northwest

Jun 7 2024 // Emerald Bay Risk Solutions and Arrowhead General Insurance Agency Inc. have launched a commercial earthquake facility that provides difference in conditions insurance policies for medium to large businesses. Arrowhead EQ...

Tornadoes Touch Down Across US, Killing Toddler in Michigan and Injuring 5 in Maryland

Jun 7 2024 // LIVONIA, Mich. (AP) — A tornado killed a 2-year-old boy and injured his mother Wednesday when a tree fell on their house in suburban Detroit, while emergency workers in Maryland were responding to reports of collapsed...