Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Markets/Coverages: MGA Optio and Insurer Partner AmFirst to Offer Political Violence & Terrorism Cover

Dec 12 2023 // Optio Group, the London-based specialty managing general agent (MGA), announced it has entered into an agreement with a new insurer partner to provide underwriting capacity for political violence and terrorism (PVT)...

Typhoon That Hit China’s Ports Provides Wakeup Call for Climate Risk to Markets

Dec 12 2023 // As Typhoon Doksuri aimed toward mainland China, major southeast ports were forced to turn away dozens of vessels for days.The storm, supercharged by the warm July waters of the Pacific, delivered Beijing’s worst...

Report: Kentucky Fund Made $239,000 in Erroneous Tornado Relief Payments

Dec 7 2023 // FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A report released Tuesday by state officials on the disbursement of Kentucky`s tornado relief fund found that it sent out about $239, 000 in mistaken payments.The review of the fund by State...

Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake Felt Widely Across Big Island of Hawaii

Dec 6 2023 // A magnitude 5.1 earthquake on the Big Island of Hawaii was felt widely, but there were no reports of damage or injury, officials said.The earthquake hit at 5:54 p.m.on Monday near the Kilauea volcano at a depth of 1 mile...

Hailstorm Claims Risk Undermining Solar Energy, Insurer Says

Dec 6 2023 // Solar farms around the world are under threat due to costly hailstorm-related claims, according to renewable energy underwriter GCube Insurance.Hail was the costliest category for insurance claims by the renewables...

NOAA: 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season Ranks 4th for Most-Named Storms

Dec 5 2023 // Ending on Nov. 30, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season saw 20 named storms, ranking fourth for the most-named storms in a year since 1950, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.Seven storms were...

Insurance, Cat Bonds Can Help Boost Poorer Countries’ Resilience to Climate Risks

Dec 1 2023 // Low-income countries are struggling to access insurance, catastrophe bonds and other hedging mechanisms that could help protect them from the economic fallout of climate change, industry sources told Reuters.Helping these...

Oregon Regulator to Investigate Pacificorp’s Request to Limit Wildfire Liability

Nov 30 2023 // Oregon’s utility regulator this week said it would investigate a petition by PacifiCorp to limit its liability from future wildfire-related lawsuits, delaying a decision on the power provider’s request by as...

People Moves: Markel Appoints Howden’s Woodhouse for War and Terrorism Team; Costero Brokers Taps Marsh’s Olley as Cyber Divisional Director

Nov 29 2023 // This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Markel and Costero Brokers.A summary of these new hires follows here. Markel Appoints Howden’s Woodhouse for War and Terrorism TeamMarkel, the...

AXIS Capital Sponsors First Cyber-Catastrophe Bond Issued in Public Debt Markets

Nov 29 2023 // For the first time, a cyber-catastrophe bond has made its way into public debt markets.Long Walk Reinsurance Ltd. issued a $75 million so-called cat bond, sponsored by AXIS Capital, to insure against “a...

Maui Wildfire Survivors Camp Pushing Mayor to Convert Vacation Rentals into Housing

Nov 28 2023 // A group of Lahaina wildfire survivors is vowing to camp on a popular resort beach until the mayor uses his emergency powers to shut down unpermitted vacation rentals and make the properties available for residents in...

Federal Cyber Insurance Backstop Is Warranted With Focus on Catastrophic Risk

Nov 28 2023 // Much more work and collaboration needs to be done but the U.S. Treasury has reached a “tentative conclusion” that a potential federal cyber insurance backstop will be focused on catastrophic cyber...

FBI Closes Probe of Car Wreck at Niagara Falls Bridge, No Indication of Terrorism

Nov 27 2023 // FBThe FBI has ended its investigation of a fiery car wreck that killed two people at a border checkpoint in Niagara Falls after finding no evidence that it was a terror attack, easing a period of high tensions as Americans...

Alabama Begins $13.6M Rebuild of Pier Damaged in Hurricane Sally

Nov 27 2023 // GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) — Hurricane Sally wiped out a 200-foot (61-meter) section of the Gulf State Park Fishing Pier on the Alabama coast in September 2020 just as it was about to reopen after a $2.4 million rebuild...

Wildfires Prompt North Carolina, Tennessee Campgrounds to Evacuate; West Virginia Blaze Contained

Nov 22 2023 // Wildfires prompted campgrounds in North Carolina and Tennessee to evacuate starting Sunday while firefighters prepared for high winds and low humidity on Monday, though officials hoped for some help from expected rain.The...

National Weather Service Surveying Tornado Damage in Arizona Town

Nov 21 2023 // A tornado that hit the town of Star Valley in Ariona prompted the National Weather Service`s Flagstaff branch to survey damage to the area, the organization said. Officials from the town located about 95 miles northeast of...

Dollywood Temporarily Suspends Park Entry Due to Nearby Wildfire

Nov 20 2023 // Dolly Parton`s Dollywood temporarily suspended entry Thursday into the Tennessee amusement park as wildfire crews on Thursday battled nearby flames.Park officials say they paused entry to allow fire crews enough room to...

Revisiting Terrorism Issues

Nov 20 2023 // Yesterday was my son’s 12th birthday but he didn’t spend it unwrapping presents or gorging on ice cream and cake. Most of our evening was spent solemnly observing unspeakable horror and devastation as the...

Mississippi Loosens Burn Ban After More Rain and Fewer Wildfires

Nov 17 2023 // JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Recent rain has helped improve drought conditions enough for Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves to partially lift a statewide burn ban.Reeves, the Mississippi Forestry Commission and the Mississippi...

Fatalities From Maui Wildfire Reach 100 After Death of Woman

Nov 17 2023 // The death toll from the wildfire that devastated the historic Maui town of Lahaina last summer has risen to 100 after a 78-year-old woman injured in the disaster died last month, officials said.The victim was among those...