Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

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

Catastrophe Bond Sales Soar as Markets Brace for Unusually Active Hurricane Season

Jun 10 2024 // Issuance of catastrophe bonds just hit a record high, as the market braces for a rough hurricane season with the potential to do substantial damage.Sales of so-called cat bonds are 38% higher this year through May than...

ShakeAlert Adding Satellite Capabilities for Earthquake Warnings

Jun 10 2024 // The U.S. Geological Survey and its partners have come out with a new capability designed to characterize large earthquakes quickly in hopes of helping warn the public about potentially damaging shaking headed their way.The...

A Perfect Storm: Looking Ahead to the 2024 Hurricane Season

Jun 7 2024 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic.The Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States are officially in hurricane season, which every year starts on June 1 and lasts through the end of November. People...

Louisiana’s Temple Meets With Insurers Ahead of Potentially Active Hurricane Season

Jun 7 2024 // Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple recently met with 20 property and casualty insurers ahead of this year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season to make sure insurers are prepared to handle claims following a hurricane...

Emerald Bay and Arrowhead Launch Commercial Earthquake Facility in California, Pacific Northwest

Jun 7 2024 // Emerald Bay Risk Solutions and Arrowhead General Insurance Agency Inc. have launched a commercial earthquake facility that provides difference in conditions insurance policies for medium to large businesses. Arrowhead EQ...

Tornadoes Touch Down Across US, Killing Toddler in Michigan and Injuring 5 in Maryland

Jun 7 2024 // LIVONIA, Mich. (AP) — A tornado killed a 2-year-old boy and injured his mother Wednesday when a tree fell on their house in suburban Detroit, while emergency workers in Maryland were responding to reports of collapsed...

Firefighters Increase Containment on California’s First Big Wildfire of the Season

Jun 4 2024 // California’s first big fire of the season is nearly fully contained, as rising temperatures across the West this week are increasing the risk of wildfires.The Corral fire, burning east of San Francisco in San Joaquin...

Tallahassee Mayor Says Tornado Costs Now Top $50 Million

Jun 4 2024 // TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Recovery from a May 10 tornado outbreak has cost Florida’s capital city $50 million so far, Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said Friday.Florida officials have requested that the Federal...

Oregon Utility Regulator Rejects PacifiCorp Request to Limit Liability in Wildfire Suits

Jun 4 2024 // Oregon utility regulators have rejected a request from PacifiCorp that sought to limit its liability in wildfire lawsuits.Under the proposal, PacifiCorp would only have been responsible for paying out actual economic...

AccuWeather: Year’s First Big Heatwave Raises Wildfire Risk in West

Jun 3 2024 // Severe heat will raise the risk of brush and grassfires from central and northern California, also bringing a moderate to and high risk of wildfires in parts of Arizona and New Mexico, a forecast out on Monday shows.The...

Insurance Council of Texas Offers Tips for Hurricane Preparation

Jun 3 2024 // With June marking the start of 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the Insurance Council of Texas (ICT) is reminding residents of steps to take to prepare for hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration...

Firefighters Battle California Wildfire With Hot Weather in the Forecast

Jun 3 2024 // Firefighters battling a California wildfire burning east of San Francisco have increased containment on the fire, but hot weather is in the forecast for the next few days.Nearly 500 firefighters, along with several air...

Busy Hurricane Season Could Test NC’s ‘Weakened’ Building Codes, Experts Say

Jun 3 2024 // The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, predicted to be unusually intense, officially began this week and it could soon bring the first test of a North Carolina law that some insurance experts have said weakens building codes...

Utility Launches Shutoff Plan Aimed at Preventing Another Wildfire Like Lahaina

Jun 3 2024 // More than 48,000 Hawaiian Electric Co. customers living in some of the state’s driest areas will soon face the prospect of advance power shutoffs — and outages that could last several days — in order to reduce...

Standalone Terrorism Coverage- First Party Coverage

Jun 3 2024 // This post is part of a series sponsored by TSIB.You worked hard to manage an acceptable outcome for your insurance renewal, answered countless underwriting queries, finally give your broker the order to bind, and you find...

Greater Chance of Major Hurricane on the East Coast This Year, But Less in Gulf, Scientist Says

Jun 3 2024 // Multiple computer models from forecasting organizations across the globe have predicted a very active hurricane season starting next month, spelling trouble for much of the coastal Southeastern tates.The models are...

Oregon Wineries and Vineyards Seek $100M from PacifiCorp for Wildfire Smoke Damage

May 31 2024 // Dozens of Oregon wineries and vineyards have sued PacifiCorp over the deadly 2020 wildfires that ravaged the state, alleging that the utility’s decision to not turn off power during the Labor Day windstorm...

Kentucky Families Struggling After Being Hit Second Time by Tornadoes

May 30 2024 // BARNSLEY, Ky. (AP) — Devin Johnson’s life was uprooted for a second time when a tornado flattened his home over the Memorial Day weekend — on the same lot in Kentucky where another storm left him homeless in...

32.7M Homes at Risk of Hurricane Damage, CoreLogic Report Shows

May 30 2024 // More than 32.7 million residential properties from Texas to Maine are at risk of moderate or severe damage sustained from hurricane-force winds, a new report shows.The large number of at-risk homes in CoreLogic’s...

Man Accused of Starting Wildfire Near Arizona-California Border

May 29 2024 // A Yuma man has been arrested for allegedly starting a wildfire in a national wildlife preserve in southwest Arizona near the California border, according to authorities.Yuma County Sheriff’s officials said...