Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

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

Europe Battles Wildfires in Intense Heat That Scientists Blame on Climate Change

Jul 18 2022 // JERTE, Spain – Authorities across southern Europe battled on Sunday to control huge wildfires in countries including Spain, Greece and France, with hundreds of deaths blamed on soaring temperatures that scientists say...

Report: Quake-Triggered Tsunami Would Hit Seattle In Minutes

Jul 18 2022 // A new study from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources shows a tsunami triggered by a major earthquake beneath Puget Sound would arrive at Seattle shores sooner and reach farther inland than previously...

Yosemite Wildfire Moving Eastward Toward Sierra National Forest

Jul 15 2022 // A wildfire that threatened a grove of California’s giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park was burning eastward into the Sierra National Forest on Wednesday.The Washburn Fire is one of dozens of blazes chewing...

Atlantic Hurricane Season May Get Boost From Lingering La Nina

Jul 14 2022 // La Nina will probably stick around for at least several more months, potentially leading to more hurricanes and tropical storms across the Atlantic during the heart of the season.There’s now a 62% chance of cool...

California Firefighters Making Gains in Yosemite Wildfire

Jul 12 2022 // California firefighters were gaining ground in the battle against a wildfire that poses a threat to a grove of giant sequoias and a small community in Yosemite National Park.The Washburn Fire on the western flank of the...

California Insurance Commissioner Issues Year Moratorium on Cancellations, Non-Renewals Following Wildfires

Jul 12 2022 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara ordered insurance companies to preserve residential insurance coverage for more than 85,000 policyholders affected by fires in Santa Barbara County and Monterey County after...

Rain Helps Slow Alaska Wildfire That Prompted Evacuations

Jul 12 2022 // Some rain helped firefighters battling an Alaska wildfire that prompted evacuations.About a half inch fell into early Monday, allowing crews to build more fire breaks to help control the wildfire started by lightning June...

Yosemite Wildfire Growing as California’s Wildfire Season Develops

Jul 11 2022 // A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size in a day, and firefighters were working in difficult terrain Sunday to protect the iconic trees and a small...

Quake-Triggered Tsunami Would Hit Seattle In Minutes, New Report Shows

Jul 11 2022 // A new study published by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources shows a tsunami triggered by a major earthquake beneath Puget Sound would arrive at Seattle shores sooner and reach farther inland than...

Favorable Weather Aids in Fight Against California Wildfire

Jul 7 2022 // Favorable weather early Wednesday aided the fight against a wildfire in California’s Gold Country that has forced evacuations in two counties.The Electra Fire had burned 6.4 square miles of rural terrain but it was...

California Governor Acting to Advance Wildfire Recovery

Jul 5 2022 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed states of emergency in Santa Barbara and Monterey counties on Friday to help the process of recovery from recent wildfires.The proclamations allow the California Department of...

Typhoon Sinks Ship Southwest of Hong Kong, Killing at Least 12 Crewmembers

Jul 5 2022 // Chinese search and rescue officials pulled 12 bodies on Monday from waters southwest of Hong Kong after an engineering vessel snapped in two as tropical storm Chaba passed through, state television said.Maritime...

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

Jul 4 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...

Who Needs Earthquake Coverage and Why

Jul 4 2022 // Natural disasters are events that create fear. When you add the flavor of how these events are reported, the fear is ratcheted up significantly, especially when you’re not accustomed to a particular event. For...

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...

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,...