Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

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

Canada’s Record Wildfire Season Set to Worsen as Heat Builds

Jul 7 2023 // Canada is bracing for higher-than-normal wildfire activity to continue into August, as soaring temperatures and drought turn much of the country’s vast forests into kindling.The Canada fire season, which normally...

CSU: Above Average Atlantic Hurricane Season Now Expected

Jul 7 2023 // Colorado State University (CSU) hurricane researchers have upped their hurricane season forecast. An above average Atlantic hurricane season is now expected for 2023, though there is a greater level of uncertainty than...

Help Arrives to Battle Growing Wildfire in Washington

Jul 5 2023 // Authorities have more than doubled the number of people battling a wildfire that has burned structures and forced the evacuation of homes in southwestern Washington near the Columbia River Gorge. The blaze that began...

Colorado’s Most Destructive Wildfire Caused by Embers From Old Fire, Sparks From Power Line

Jul 3 2023 // Embers from a smoldering scrap wood fire outside a home days earlier and a sparking power line caused a Colorado wildfire fanned by high winds that destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and left two people dead, authorities...

Canadian Wildfires Are Causing Unhealthy Air Quality Again in Chicago, Other Parts of the US

Jun 29 2023 // CHICAGO (AP) – Drifting smoke from the ongoing wildfires across Canada is creating curtains of haze and raising air quality concerns throughout the Great Lakes region, and in parts of the central and eastern United...

Italy’s Insurance Protection Gap Exposes State Finances to Natural Disasters

Jun 29 2023 // Lamberto Mongardi, a farm owner in the northern Italian town of Lugo, was hit twice when torrential rain lashed the area last month: not only was much of his property washed away, but he also discovered his insurance cover...

Smoke from Canadian Wildfires Causes Unhealthy Air Quality in Minnesota

Jun 28 2023 // ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Wildfire smoke from Canada promoted officials on Tuesday to issue a record 23rd air quality alert for much of Minnesota through late Wednesday night as smoky skies obscure the Minneapolis and...

Push to Lower Wildfire Risk Across West Stumbles in Places

Jun 28 2023 // Using chainsaws, heavy machinery and controlled burns, the Biden administration is trying to turn the tide on worsening wildfires in the U.S. West through a multi-billion dollar cleanup of forests choked with dead trees...

Tornado and Other Severe Weather Kill 3, Damage Homes, and Knock Out Power in Multiple States

Jun 27 2023 // SHOALS, Ind. (AP) – A tornado struck an Indiana home, killing a man and injuring his wife while two people died in Arkansas after a tree fell onto a house there as severe weather rumbled through several states.The...

Tornado Ripped Through Massive Wyoming Coal Mining Site

Jun 26 2023 // A tornado that ripped through a massive coal mining site in northeast Wyoming halted operations, but only eight people were injured and no deaths were reported, officials said.The tornado hit the North Antelope Rochelle...

FEMA Denies Georgia County’s Request for Help After March Tornado

Jun 26 2023 // Months after an EF-3 tornado tore through a Georgia county southwest of Atlanta officials said a federal agency has denied its request for additional help in the recovery.”Obviously we’re extremely disappointed...

Canada’s Explosive Wildfires Damage Forest Set Aside for Carbon Offset Project

Jun 26 2023 // Canada’s explosive wildfire season has already pumped millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Some of that carbon is coming from vegetation burned at a carbon offset project, highlighting the...

Europe’s Firefighters Call for More Resources as Climate Change Hikes Wildfire Threat

Jun 23 2023 // Firefighters across Europe are calling for more resources as climate change increases the threat of wildfires across the region.While the European Union announced a doubling of its aerial firefighting fleet for this season...

North Texas Tornado Kills At Least Four People

Jun 22 2023 // At least four people are dead and nine are injured after a tornado hit Matador, a small town of nearly 800 people northeast of Lubbock, late Wednesday night.The tornado was brought on by several severe storms in the...

Hawaii Volcano Stops Erupting, Ending Lava Show

Jun 22 2023 // The nearly two-week eruption of a Hawaii volcano, one of the most active in the world, has come to a pause, scientists said.After a three-month hiatus, Kilauea began erupting again June 7 – displaying fountains of...

Tropical Storm Bret Spins Up With Possible Hurricane Threat to Caribbean

Jun 21 2023 // Tropical Storm Bret formed in the central Atlantic Ocean on Monday, with forecasters saying it could pose a hurricane threat to the Lesser Antilles by Thursday and the Dominican Republic and Haiti by the weekend.The...

Fitch: US Insurance Market Forecast to Withstand Losses From Large Hurricane This Year

Jun 21 2023 // With ample capital, Fitch Ratings’ latest annual ‘U.S. Hurricane Season’ report indicates U.S. property and casualty (P/C) and reinsurers can absorb losses if a large hurricane makes landfall this...

Multiple Tornadoes in Mississippi Kill One, Leave Severe Damage

Jun 20 2023 // Multiple tornadoes swept through Mississippi over the weekend, killing one and injuring nearly two dozen, officials said.State emergency workers were still working with counties Monday morning to assess the damage from...

Verdict in Oregon Wildfires Case Highlights Risks Utilities Face Amid Climate Change

Jun 20 2023 // A jury verdict that found an Oregon power company liable for devastating wildfires – and potentially billions of dollars in damages – is highlighting the legal and financial risks utilities take if they fail to...

Tornadoes, Strong Winds Caused Property Damage Across South

Jun 19 2023 // Damaging winds and possible tornadoes toppled trees, damaged buildings and blew cars off a highway Wednesday as powerful storms crossed the South from Texas to Florida to Georgia late last week.The National Weather Service...