Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

North Dakota Officials Offer Guidance Following Wildfires

Oct 9 2024 // In the wake of wildfires over the weekend affecting parts of NorthDakota, Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread and State Fire Marshal Doug Nelson are reminding residents of the necessary steps to protect themselves and...

Hurricane Milton Bears Down on Florida’s Tampa Area With House-Toppling Winds

Oct 9 2024 // Hurricane Milton churned toward Florida’s west coast with winds powerful enough to demolish houses, threatening to unleash once-in-a-century flooding across some of the state’s fastest-growing...

Hurricanes Milton and Helene Expose Limits of US Flood Maps

Oct 9 2024 // Even before the second megastorm in as many weeks brings devastating floodwaters to the Southeast US, it’s already clear that federal flood-risk maps underpinning decisions by millions of American homeowners and...

Catastrophe Bond Investors Brace for Major Losses as Milton Rages

Oct 9 2024 // Investors in catastrophe bonds are girding themselves for substantial losses as the combined destructive force of Hurricanes Helene and Milton looks set to trigger payment clauses on a scale not seen in years.Two weeks...

Hurricane Milton Insured Loss Could Be $60 Billion, Similar to 2022’s Ian: RBC

Oct 9 2024 // Hurricane Milton could result in a $60 billion loss for the global insurance industry, creating a surge in 2025 reinsurance prices which could boost some insurance companies’ shares, analysts at RBC Capital said.The...

Utilities’ Extreme Plan to Stop Wildfires: Shut Off the Power

Oct 8 2024 // A growing number of utilities are resorting to an extreme measure to prevent their equipment from sparking catastrophic wildfires: turning off the power.Electric companies serving about 24 million homes and businesses...

Hurricanes Like Helene Keep Killing for Years After They Strike

Oct 8 2024 // Hurricanes in the United States end up hundreds of times deadlier than the government calculates, contributing to more American deaths than car accidents or all the nation’s wars, a new study said.The average storm...

Former Hurricane Kirk Set to Lash France With Heavy Rain

Oct 8 2024 // The remnants of Hurricane Kirk are forecast to hit France on Wednesday, after weakening to a post-tropical cyclone.The storm will bring wind gusts as strong as 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour to the Pyrenees, according...

Property/Casualty Insurance Stocks Slump on Hurricane Milton-Related Fears

Oct 8 2024 // U.S. property and casualty insurance stocks tanked on Monday after Hurricane Milton intensified into a category 4 storm on its path towards Florida’s western coast, marking yet another costly disaster for the...

Utilities’ Extreme Plan to Stop Wildfires: Shut Off the Power

Oct 8 2024 // A growing number of utilities are resorting to an extreme measure to prevent their equipment from sparking catastrophic wildfires: turning off the power.Electric companies serving about 24 million homes and businesses...

Hurricane Kirk’s Remnants Forecast to Hit Europe Later This Week

Oct 7 2024 // The remnants of Hurricane Kirk are forecast to hit northwest France on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and gale-force winds.Hurricane Kirk peaked at Category 4 storm over the Atlantic last week, but is weakening as it heads...

Hurricane Francine Insured Losses Expected to Be Manageable

Oct 7 2024 // Losses from Hurricane Francine are expected to be manageable for property/casualty insurers, with major population centers sparred from the worst of the storm’s damage.Privately insured loss from Hurricane Francine...

Rebuild or What? Florida Towns Hit Three Times by Hurricanes Face Tough Choice

Oct 4 2024 // HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — It was just a month ago that Brooke Hiers left the state-issued emergency trailer where her family had lived since Hurricane Idalia slammed into her Gulf Coast fishing village of Horseshoe...

Taiwan Reopens, Clearing Up Damage After Typhoon Krathon

Oct 4 2024 // Southern Taiwan worked on Friday to clear up damage from flooding and high winds after Typhoon Krathon slammed into a major port city, while most of the rest of the island resumed work and financial markets...

FEMA Doesn’t Have Enough Funding to Last Through Hurricane Season, Mayorkas Warns

Oct 4 2024 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency can meet immediate needs but does not have enough funding to make it through the hurricane season, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Wednesday.The agency...

Typhoon Krathon Hits Taiwan With Dangerous Winds, Heavy Rain

Oct 3 2024 // Typhoon Krathon crossed the southwest coast of Taiwan packing dangerous winds, with the storm leaving thousands of customers without power and shutting the stock exchange a second day.Krathon had maximum sustained winds of...

California Wildfires Have Burned 1M Acres So Far This Year. Heat Wave Poses More Risk

Oct 2 2024 // The total acres burned in California this year surpassed 1 million as spiking temperatures this week added to the challenges facing firefighters struggling to contain a stubborn blaze in the mountains northeast of Los...

Hurricane Ravages Southern Cotton Crops Just Before Harvest

Oct 2 2024 // Cotton growers are facing devastating losses and delays from Hurricane Helene just as harvest was beginning, marking the latest blow to profits in an already weak market.The storm ripped through the cotton-growing regions...

University of California Purchases Sensor-Triggered Earthquake Parametric Policy

Oct 2 2024 // What is being called the first sensor-triggered earthquake parametric insurance policy in the U.S. was purchased by The University of California.Liberty Mutual Reinsurance, part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, and...

Taiwan Rescues All Crew Members on Stricken Ship as Super Typhoon Nears

Oct 2 2024 // Taiwan authorities completed the dramatic helicopter rescue of 19 crew members on a stricken ship, which foundered as Super Typhoon Krathon brings strong winds and heavy rains to the island.All those on the...