Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Possible Tornadoes Cause Damage in Parts of Florida

Oct 13 2023 // CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — A storm system that moved across parts of Florida early Thursday left a path of damage to cars, houses and businesses, authorities said.The storms moved north into Citrus County, where...

PG&E to Pay $45M for Second-Largest California Wildfire

Oct 12 2023 // PG&E Corp. will pay a $45 million penalty for its role in starting the second-largest wildfire in California history under a settlement proposal issued by state regulators.The California utility giant agreed to the...

Viewpoint: Reinsurance Solution Would Help Homeowners Exposed to Wildfires Face the Challenge

Oct 12 2023 // Wildfire has become an increasingly challenging threat in many Western States. With an ever-increasing frequency and intensity, this continues to pose a serious threat to lives and properties across the exposed area....

Wildfire Risk Management Starts by Properly Using a Full Toolbox

Oct 10 2023 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic.Welcome to the third installment of our four-part series on wildfire hazard and risk management, where we will explore CoreLogic’s wildfire risk models and their...

Typhoon Koinu Strengthens as It Heads Toward Hong Kong

Oct 6 2023 // Typhoon Koinu strengthened as the storm headed across the South China Sea toward Hong Kong, contrary to earlier expectations by most meteorologists who had predicted it would weaken.At 5 p.m. Hong Kong time, Koinu had...

Hong Kong’s Typhoon-Related Insurance Claims Set to Top Record $500M in 2023

Oct 4 2023 // Hong Kong insurance claims caused by natural disasters may climb to a record and exceed $500 million this year should approaching Typhoon Koinu add to this storm season’s damages, according to Bloomberg...

Typhoon Koinu on Track to Hit Taiwan Before Heading to Hong Kong

Oct 3 2023 // Severe Typhoon Koinu will pass over the southern tip of Taiwan in coming days before heading toward Hong Kong in a weakened state, according to regional observatories.The storm will intensify into a super typhoon with...

Lingering Drought and Wildfires Plague Texas, Threatening Water Supplies and Agriculture

Oct 3 2023 // A lingering drought affecting more than 80% of Texas is causing wildfires, hurting agriculture and drying up water supplies throughout the state.This year’s drought comes less than a year after Texas experienced one...

Many US Cities Vulnerable to Low Water Pressure Amid Wildfire Dangers

Oct 2 2023 // Hours before devastating fires scorched the historic town of Lahaina on Maui, Kyle Ellison labored to save his rental house in Kula, a rural mountain town 24 miles away, from a different blaze.As high winds whipped burning...

Washington Asks Insurers to Expedite Approval Process for Debris Removal After Wildfires

Oct 2 2023 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler sent a letter asking insurance companies and adjusters working with communities impacted by the Gray and Oregon Road fires to expedite the approval process for debris...

Insurance Industry Should Expect $130 Billion in Catastrophe Losses Every Year: Verisk

Oct 2 2023 // Total global insured losses from natural catastrophes of more than $100 billion a year may be less newsworthy than in the past. In fact, the industry should expect loss totals of much more than that every year, according...

Tornado-damaged Pfizer Plant in North Carolina Restarts Production

Sep 27 2023 // ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (AP) — A major Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in North Carolina that makes critical supplies for U.S. hospitals has restarted production about 10 weeks after it was heavily damaged by a tornado, the...

Federal Judge Rejects Law Firm’s Claim for Hurricane Damage Lawsuit Fees, Citing Illegal Client Acquisition

Sep 26 2023 // A federal judge rejected a request by McClenny Moseley & Associates to claim an interest in legal fees and expenses from a hurricane damage lawsuit, saying the law firm obtained its clients illegally by using a...

Residents Prepare to Return to Sites Of Homes Demolished In Lahaina Wildfire

Sep 26 2023 // From just outside the burn zone in Lahaina, Jes Claydon can see the ruins of the rental home where she lived for 13 years and raised three children. Little remains recognizable beyond the jars of sea glass that stood...

Movie Star Anthony Mackie Returns to New Orleans to Repair Hurricane-Damaged Roofs

Sep 25 2023 // NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Movie star Anthony Mackie was back in his home town – and back at an old job – as he took part in a program to repair roofs damaged by natural disasters for people who aren’t financially or...

Tech Startups in US, France, Germany Help in Fight Against Wildfires

Sep 25 2023 // This year has been a challenging one for Phil Schneider, who hasn’t seen wildfire behavior like this in his 47-year firefighting career.Blazes raged through more than 2,000 acres of wildland in recent months in his...

US Wildfire Fighters Are Hitting a Pay Cliff at the Worst Time

Sep 25 2023 // In Fairbanks, Alaska, the US Forest Service is looking to hire a smokejumper, a person who parachutes out of a rickety airplane to wrangle wildfires that break out far from roads or rivers. Little experience is necessary;...

Allstate Records About $640M in August Cat Losses, Half From Maui Wildfire

Sep 21 2023 // Allstate reported about $641 million in August catastrophe losses from 18 events, with about half coming from the Maui wildfire.The losses for the month of August were $551 million or $435 million, after-tax, partially...

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Shows Unusual Risk Appetite in Wildfire Court Fight

Sep 21 2023 // Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co.’s PacifiCorp has been battered in an unprecedented court fight over the utility’s failure to prevent massive wildfire destruction in Oregon.The largest grid operator in the western...

Florida OIR Wants Enhanced Hurricane Ian Data by Sept. 27. Claims Have Topped 740,000

Sep 21 2023 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is reminding carriers that additional information about Hurricane Ian claims is due no later than Sept. 27.By law, the office is required to collect data after hurricanes. Simple...