Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Colombia Declares National Disaster as Wildfires Spread Through Parched Forests

Jan 26 2024 // Colombia declared a national disaster as wildfires spread through drought-hit forests and filled the capital, Bogota, with smoke.Environmental authorities reported 31 separate blazes on Thursday, after months of hot, dry...

People Moves: Former California Earthquake Authority CEO Pomeroy Joins GeoVera

Jan 26 2024 // Glenn Pomeroy, former CEO of the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), joined GeoVera as executive vice president of marketing and regulatory affairs effective February 1. GeoVera is headquartered in Fairfield,...

Fifth Circuit Upholds $502K Award for Louisiana Church in Hurricane Laura Damage Suit

Jan 25 2024 // The United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month upheld a 2022 decision against Church Mutual Insurance Co. in favor of Sugartown United Pentecostal Church in Dry Creek, Louisiana, which sits about 50...

Florida to Borrow Billions to Backstop Insurers After Hurricanes

Jan 23 2024 // The state corporation that oversees the Florida Cat Fund is planning to borrow as much as $3.8 billion to ensure the fund has plenty of money on hand to reimburse property insurers for losses when homes are damaged or...

UK Braces for More Hurricane-Strength Winds From Next Atlantic Storm

Jan 23 2024 // Just over a day after Storm Isha started to clear, the UK is bracing for more hurricane-strength winds off the Atlantic.Jocelyn — the 10th named storm of the season to hit the UK — will rip across the north of the...

Hurricane-Force Winds Cause Chaos, Blackouts Across Europe

Jan 22 2024 // Storm Isha is causing travel disruption and power blackouts across northern Europe, as it brought hurricane-force winds to the UK and other parts of the region.The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning across the UK...

USGS: Nearly 75% of US Could Experience A Damaging Earthquake

Jan 22 2024 // Nearly 75% of the U.S. could experience damaging earthquake shaking, a recent U.S. Geological Survey report shows.A USGS-led team of more than 50 scientists and engineers in the latest USGS National Seismic Hazard Model...

Hedge Funds Rake in Huge Profits Betting on Catastrophe Risk

Jan 22 2024 // For hedge funds, the science of catastrophes helped generate the best returns of any alternative investment strategy last year.The calculus around natural disasters such as hurricanes and cyclones fed record gains at funds...

Lawsuit Says Compensation Delayed for Victims of Worst Wildfire in New Mexico History

Jan 22 2024 // A new lawsuit has been filed against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, alleging compensation has been delayed for victims of the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s recorded history.FEMA is responsible for doling...

2024 Oregon Consumer Laws Include Protections for Homeowners Dealing with Wildfire

Jan 22 2024 // Consumer protections for homeowners dealing with wildfire-related issues, property contents coverage, personal data protection and prescription drugs are set to go into effect in 2024.The Oregon Division of Financial...

Hedge Fund Fermat Has Best Year Ever as Catastrophe Bonds Deliver Record Results

Jan 18 2024 // Fermat Capital Management just had the best year in its more than two-decade history, after outsize bets on catastrophe bonds delivered record results.The hedge fund’s returns were “in line” with the 20%...

Wildfire Prevention, Helping Maui Recover Top Agenda for Hawaii Lawmakers

Jan 16 2024 // Hawaii lawmakers convened this week for the first time since the burning of historic Lahaina awakened the state to the deadly and costly threat posed by wildfires in an age of climate change.The tragedy refocused the...

A Catastrophe of a Catastrophe Bill

Jan 16 2024 // On January 12, Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced a bill, the “Incorporating National Support for Unprecedented Risks and Emergencies (INSURE) Act.” The stated goal of the bill is to...

Federal Reinsurance Backstop for Catastrophes: APCIA Says No Thanks

Jan 16 2024 // Federal lawmakers introduced a bill to create a federal natural catastrophe backstop recently, reacting to insurers’ issues with growing private reinsurance costs. But a trade group for carriers suggested that a...

Australia’s Usual Summer of Wildfires Is Now Being Soaked by Prolonged Wet Weather

Jan 12 2024 // Australians bracing for a return of scorching heat and wildfires are instead battling a prolonged deluge of rain across the country’s east that’s inundated homes and damaged crops from sugar to wheat.Vast areas...

Texas Regulators Suspend Well Permits to Address Rising Earthquake Frequency

Jan 11 2024 // The state’s oil and gas regulatory agency last month suspended nearly two dozen permits that let companies inject saltwater water into the ground, a routine industry practice that regulators said has contributed to...

Tornadoes Rip Homes, Businesses in Florida Panhandle

Jan 9 2024 // Multiple tornadoes and high winds were reported across the South early Tuesday, including Panama City, Florida, where storms caused significant damage to homes and businesses and forced rescues of stranded...

Houston Yet to Allocate $200 Million in Federal Relief Funds to Hurricane Harvey Victims

Jan 8 2024 // More than six years after Hurricane Harvey flooded thousands of homes and killed more than 80 people on the Texas Coast, the city of Houston has yet to allocate $200 million in federal relief funds to victims, according to...

Lawsuit Says Compensation Delayed for Victims of Worst Wildfire in New Mexico History

Jan 8 2024 // A new lawsuit has been filed against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, alleging compensation has been delayed for victims of the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s recorded history.FEMA is responsible for doling...

Markets/Coverages: Lloyd’s Announces 1st 144A Cat Bond on Its London Bridge Platform

Jan 8 2024 // Lloyd’s, the re/insurance marketplace, announced that the first 144A catastrophe bond has been issued on its risk transformation platform London Bridge 2 PCC Ltd.Beazley is the sponsor of the US$100 million...