Latest Catastrophe Headlines

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

Tropical Storm Bonnie Forms Near Nicaragua in Caribbean

Jul 1 2022 // Tropical Storm Bonnie formed in the Caribbean east of Nicaragua, a dangerous system that threatens a potential humanitarian crisis but isn’t a major threat to oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. With winds...

Midyear Prop-Catastrophe Reinsurance Capacity Down for 1st Time in Decades: Aon

Jul 1 2022 // For the first time since the devastating U.S. hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, property-catastrophe capacity contracted during the June/July reinsurance renewal period, Aon said in a new report released yesterday.While the...

Northern California Wildfire Threatens 500 Buildings

Jun 30 2022 // A wildfire that erupted in Northern California forced evacuations as it threatened about 500 homes and other buildings, authorities said.The Rices Fire erupted at around 2 p.m. near the Yuba River in Nevada County and had...

More Federal Wildfire Recovery Aid Available For New Mexico

Jun 29 2022 // U.S. President Joe Biden authorized an increase in funding for debris removal and other emergency measures being taken as a result of a historic wildfire season in New Mexico that stemmed partly from missteps by federal...

Louisiana Launches $463M Project to Elevate Hurricane Evacuation Route

Jun 27 2022 // Louisiana state leaders have broken ground for a $463 million project that will elevate 8.3 miles of La. 1, one of the state’s hurricane evacuation routes.The groundbreaking held Friday is for work that will be done...

How to Lower Home Insurance Premiums and Wildfire Risks

Jun 24 2022 // Homeowners in the US got new guidance to help them defend against increasingly frequent wildfires and associated rising insurance premiums.The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, a research nonprofit funded...

Idaho Gearing up for Wildfire Season with Bolstered Crews

Jun 23 2022 // Cooler and wetter weather this spring has alleviated drought concerns in much of Idaho but spurred grass growth that could cause large rangeland wildfires in the southern part of the state as plants dry out this summer,...

Massive New Mexico Wildfire Blamed on Miscalculations, Errors

Jun 22 2022 // U.S. Forest Service employees made multiple miscalculations, used inaccurate models and underestimated how dry conditions were in the Southwest, causing a planned burn to reduce the threat of wildfires to explode into the...

Meteorologists Warn Thunderstorms Could Spark California Wildfires

Jun 22 2022 // The combination of tropical moisture and an offshore storm will result in an uptick in thunderstorms across portions of California on Wednesday and Thursday, weather experts are warning.With most of the storms will contain...

30 Years After Hurricane Andrew, Karen Clark Affirmed Her Models

Jun 20 2022 // June 1 marked the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season — one that is expected to be above average in terms of named storms and hurricanes. Insurance Journal used the occasion to speak with Karen Clark, founder...

Louisiana’s Native Americans Still Recovering From Hurricane Ida

Jun 17 2022 // Driving through her village along the southeastern Louisiana bayou, tribal official Cherie Matherne points out remnants of house after house _ including her own _ wrecked nine months ago when Hurricane Ida roared through...

Wisconsin Storms, Tornadoes Cause Property Damage

Jun 17 2022 // Powerful storms that included at least one tornado took down power lines and trees, damaged structures, toppled semis on the interstate and left tens of thousands without electricity in parts of Wisconsin.In western...

Northern Arizona Watches Winds as Western Wildfires Blaze

Jun 15 2022 // Calmer winds and cooler temperatures Tuesday allowed firefighters across the U.S. West to get a better handle on blazes that have forced hundreds of people from their homes.As red flag warnings expired and winds died down...

Report: 72% of Gulf Coast Homes Have Roofs Susceptible to Hurricane Damage

Jun 15 2022 // Arturo released its inaugural report “Hurricane Exposure: The State of Gulf Homes” that analyzes more than 17 million homes across the South Central and Southeast United States ahead of a forecasted...

Insurers Increasingly Concerned for Western U.S. Wildfire Season

Jun 14 2022 // As Western wildfires force evacuations in Arizona and California – on the heels of an early and severe wildfire season in New Mexico – insurers are increasingly eyeing the growing risks.“Insurers are very much...

Arizona Wildfire Growing, Forces Evacuations

Jun 13 2022 // Evacuations are in effect in parts of northern Arizona as a wildfire about 6 miles north of Flagstaff steadily grew Sunday, authorities said.Coconino National Forest officials said the Pipeline Fire was reported at 10:15...

New Mexico Residents Suing for Information on Massive Wildfire

Jun 13 2022 // Dozens of residents in a small New Mexico community impacted by massive wildfires that merged in April are suing the U.S. Forest Service over what they called a failure to provide information about the government’s...

PG&E Pleads Not Guilty in Deadly 2020 California Wildfire

Jun 10 2022 // Pacific Gas & Electric this week pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges it faces after its equipment sparked a wildfire that killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes in Northern...

Another Analysis Calls out Potential for Severe Wildfire Season in U.S. West

Jun 9 2022 // As the U.S. West heads into the hot, dry summer months, a growing number of indications point to a potentially bad wildfire season.In the past two months, two analyses have emerged from fire weather experts using words...

Concerned Scientists: Climate Ties U.S. Wildfires and Water Together in Many Ways

Jun 9 2022 // A provider of predictive data and analytics for climate risk and resilience is partnering with global environmental organization The Nature Conservancy to protect sensitive natural areas and provide estimates of future...