Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

After Wildfire, Hawaii Fire Crews Take Stock of Their Ability to Communicate in a Crisis

May 24 2024 // Fire departments across the state are reevaluating their emergency communication capabilities after the Maui wildfires, when the vulnerability of the island’s cellular network — and a lack of advanced communication...

Tornado Devastates Iowa Town, Killing Multiple People

May 23 2024 // GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Multiple people died Tuesday and at least a dozen were injured when a powerful tornado tore through a small Iowa town, carving a bleak landscape of destroyed homes and businesses, shredded trees,...

NOAA Chimes in With Prediction of Above-Average Atlantic Hurricane Season

May 23 2024 // The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today predicted an 85% chance of an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, with up to 25 named storms.“The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected...

Containment on Arizona Wind-Driven Wildfire Grows

May 22 2024 // Roughly 200 firefighters continued to battle a wildfire in Arizona that quickly grew to more than 14,000 acres.Firefighters have kept the Wildcat Fire size from growing over the past day, but extremely low humidity, warm...

Hawaii Outlines Efforts to Prevent Another Devastating Wildfire Ahead of a Dry Season

May 21 2024 // As Maui continues to recover from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, Hawaii officials are looking at preventing another similar disaster ahead of what is expected to be a dry, fire-prone season, Gov. Josh...

Arizona Wildfire Growing Amid Windy Conditions

May 20 2024 // A wildfire has led the U.S. Forest Service to shut down a portion of the Tonto National Forest has grown to more than 14,000 acres. The Wildcat Fire increased in size because of windy weather conditions Sunday, prompting...

Houston Windstorm Causes Preliminary Economic Loss of $5-7B: AccuWeather

May 20 2024 // The destructive windstorm that blew out windows in downtown Houston and left hundreds of thousands of southeast Texas residents without power caused upwards of $5-7 billion in total damage and economic loss, according to...

Hawaii Study: Nearly 75% of Wildfire Survey Participants Have Respiratory Issues

May 20 2024 // A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health, and...

Wildfire Risk

May 20 2024 // While the overall number of wildfires per year is declining, the increasing size and intensity of fires have led to more property damage than ever before. The average fire size has tripled over the past 30 years, according...

Wildfires Could Affect Over Half of Canada’s Oil Sands Output: Report

May 17 2024 // More than half of the oil sands production from Canada could be impacted if the wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia worsen, Rystad Energy said in a report on Thursday.WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Canada is one of the...

Greater Chance of Major Hurricane on East Coast This Year, Less in Gulf, Scientist Says

May 17 2024 // Multiple computer models from forecasting organizations across the globe have predicted a very active hurricane season starting next month, spelling trouble for Florida and much of the Eastern United States.The models...

Oil-Sands Capital of Canada Now Grappling With Second Wildfire

May 16 2024 // The unofficial capital of Canada’s oil-sands industry is now facing a second wildfire that’s north of the city and closer to major energy operations.The new blaze near Fort McMurray, Alberta, is about 3...

Update: Wildfire Threat to Oil-Sands Capital Expected to Ease as Winds Shift

May 15 2024 // The threat of a wildfire bearing down on the unofficial capital of Canada’s oil-sands industry is expected to lessen as temperatures cool and winds shift, though the prospect of rains dousing the flames entirely...

Canadian Crews Battle Wildfire Threatening Remote Western Town

May 14 2024 // Firefighters on Monday battled a large wildfire heading towards a remote western Canadian town as winds and tinder dry conditions threatened to spread the flames further, a provincial minister said.The largely evacuated...

US States Warned of Unhealthy Air From Wildfires: Weather Watch

May 13 2024 // Air quality has turned unhealthy for parts of the Upper Midwest in the US, including the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, as smoke drifts south from ongoing Canadian forest fires, according to AirNow.gov.The US...

Over 700 Tornado Reports Filed in 2024, Above Historical Average – AccuWeather

May 13 2024 // Approximately 700 preliminary tornado reports have been filed so far in 2024, above the historical average for this time of year, according to AccuWeather Global Weather Center.The roughly 700 preliminary tornado reports...

It’s a Matter of When, Not if, a Hurricane Will Hit Florida, Forecasters Say

May 13 2024 // SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — With the start of hurricane season less than a month away, U.S. officials who predict, prepare for and respond to natural disasters had a message for Floridians on Friday: It’s not a matter of...

Two Tornadoes Down Trees on Homes, Kill One Person in Tallahassee

May 13 2024 // Two confirmed tornadoes and storms packing hurricane-force winds killed at least one woman Friday in Florida as a week of deadly severe weather continued in the South, where uprooted trees crashed onto homes and knocked...

Western Canada Wildfires Prompt Evacuations, Air Quality Warnings

May 13 2024 // The season’s first major wildfires have spread to roughly 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) across Western Canada on Sunday as authorities issued an evacuation order for a community in British Columbia and warned of...

Decayed, Broken Utility Pole Caused Largest Wildfire in Texas History: Report

May 13 2024 // LUBBOCK — A decayed utility pole that broke, causing power wires to fall on dry grass in the Texas Panhandle, sparked the state’s largest wildfire in history, a Texas House committee confirmed Wednesday.And other...