Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

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

Explaining Deductibles After Multiple Florida Hurricanes

Oct 16 2024 // Deductibles serve several purposes. They provide some premium relief for the insured. They make insureds less likely to file smaller claims because either damage falls within the deductible, or is so close to it that the...

Far From Milton’s Eye, Tornadoes Wrought Unexpected Damage

Oct 16 2024 // WELLINGTON, Fla. (AP) — Tony Brazzale, a diving boat captain who has lived for 10 years in his Wellington home in southeastern Florida, wasn’t worried about Hurricane Milton. The storm’s center was forecast...

Volunteers Bring Solar Power to Hurricane Helene Disaster Zone

Oct 15 2024 // Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Helene downed power lines and washed out roads all over North Carolina’s mountains, the constant din of a gas-powered generator is getting to be too much for Bobby Renfro.It’s...

KCC Expects Private Insured Losses of $36B From Hurricane Milton

Oct 15 2024 // Florida’s Hurricane Milton caused private insured losses of about $36 billion, estimated catastrophe modeler Karen Clark & Co.The estimate includes losses from wind, storms surge, and inland flooding to personal,...

Typhoon-Hit Southeast Asia to See a Rainy End to 2024

Oct 15 2024 // Southeast Asia could see higher-than-normal rainfall in the coming months, threatening further disruptions to agriculture, tourism, and industrial output in a region already hit by a series of storms this year.Weather...

Hurricane Milton Could Use Up P/C Insurers’ 2024 Catastrophe Budgets

Oct 10 2024 // S&P Global Ratings said potential losses from Hurricane Milton could fully deplete the 2024 natural catastrophe budgets for rated U.S. property/casualty insurers, affecting underwriting margins and earnings.In a report...

Flaws of the Saffir-Simpson Scale: Wind Isn’t the Only Threat in Modern Hurricanes

Oct 10 2024 // The insurance industry faces significant challenges in covering catastrophic risks, especially as climate change drives more extreme weather events. With soaring premiums and increasing exclusions, the need for an accurate...

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...

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...