Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

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

Emergency Declaration for Multiple New Mexico Wildfires

Apr 25 2022 // New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed emergency declarations as 20 wildfires continued to burn Sunday in nearly half of the state’s drought-stricken 33 counties.One wildfire in northern New Mexico that...

Lake Charles, Louisiana Starts Program for 2020 Hurricane Home Repairs

Apr 19 2022 // Registration has started for a new program to help low- and moderate-income Lake Charles residents fix 2020 hurricane damage to their homes, and Mayor Nic Hunter says he expects it to fill up fast.“We’ve...

Natural Disasters Cost Global Economy $32B in Q1, With Only $14B Insured: Aon

Apr 18 2022 // Preliminary economic losses from natural hazards billion during the first quarter of 2022 totaled $32, of which less than 50% (or $14 billion), was covered by public and private insurers, according to a report published by...

Earthquakes Recorded Near Long-Dormant Alaska Volcano

Apr 18 2022 // Hundreds of small earthquakes have been reported near a volcano in southeast Alaska believed to have been dormant for at least 800 years, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmedThe cause of the quakes under Mount Edgecumbe, a...

Lawsuit Alleges Power Line Sparked Colorado Wildfire

Apr 18 2022 // The first lawsuit filed in connection with a wildfire that destroyed over 1,000 homes and other buildings in suburban Denver claims that sparks from a power line started December’s blaze.The lawsuit filed against...

Tornado Confirmed in North-Central Iowa

Apr 14 2022 // A tornado hit near Gilmore City in rural north-central Iowa as a strong line of storms moved across the state overnight, the National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday.The tornado was confirmed by a trained spotter...

Blizzard in North Dakota, Possible Tornado in SE Minnesota

Apr 14 2022 // A possible tornado tore up a small Minnesota town and a blizzard forced the closure of the North Dakota Capitol, schools and roads, as spring storms wreaked havoc across the Upper Midwest.The National Weather Service said...

23 Injured in Texas Storms; More Tornadoes Forecast in US

Apr 14 2022 // Nearly two dozen people were injured when tornadoes swept through central Texas as part of a storm system that was expected to spawn more twisters and damaging winds Wednesday.The storms caused widespread damage Tuesday in...

13 Tornadoes Destroyed 14 Homes in South Carolina

Apr 14 2022 // Severe storms that moved across South Carolina earlier this week caused at least 13 tornadoes and hail the size of baseballs, emergency officials said.Fourteen homes were destroyed by the tornadoes as they moved through...

This Year’s Hurricane Season Likely to Be Wetter, Just Like 2020, Study Finds

Apr 13 2022 // Climate change made the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season noticeably wetter, and it will likely make this season rainier, too, scientists said.Human-caused climate change made the entire season drop about 5% more rain. During...

New Mexico Wildfires Gained Ground Amid Dry, Windy Conditions

Apr 13 2022 // It’s a simple recipe that requires only a couple ingredients, and New Mexico has them all.Strong winds, low humidity and dry conditions that stem from two decades of persistent drought combined this week for more...

Officials: Nebraska Wildfire About Half Contained

Apr 12 2022 // A wildfire in southern Nebraska that destroyed some homes and produced thick smoke that led to the traffic death of an area fire chief is about half contained, state officials said.The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency...

California’s PG&E Avoids Criminal Charges in Settlements Over 2 Major Wildfires

Apr 12 2022 // California utility PG&E Corp. has reached settlement agreements with district attorneys representing Northern California counties to avoid prosecution over two major wildfires, with the company agreeing to pay $55...

Typhoon Megi Triggers Landslides in Philippines, Killing at Least 25 People

Apr 12 2022 // At least 25 people were killed and several more missing after Typhoon Megi triggered landslides and flooded many areas in central and southern Philippines.Twenty-two persons died in mudslides in Baybay City in Leyte...

NWS: EF-3 Stronger of 2 Tornadoes to Hit Arkansas in Late March

Apr 8 2022 // A second, weak, tornado struck Arkansas last week as severe storms rolled across the Deep South, according to the National Weather Service in Little Rock. On March 30, an EF-1 tornado with winds of about 100 mph (161 kph)...

19 Named Storms Predicted by CSU Team; 70% Chance Major Hurricane Hits U.S.

Apr 7 2022 // Researchers at Colorado State University are predicting a very active 2022 Atlantic season, with 19 named storms.The average for named storms during the Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 through November) is 14.4. The...

Woman With Muscular Dystrophy Injured During New Orleans Tornado Dies

Apr 6 2022 // A young woman with muscular dystrophy who was injured when an EF-3 tornado tossed her family’s home in Louisiana into the street has died, marking the second death linked to last month’s severe weather.Her...

Charges Dropped Against in 2018 Colorado Wildfire Case

Apr 6 2022 // A judge dismissed criminal charges against a Danish man accused of starting a Colorado wildfire that destroyed about 140 homes in 2018 after he was repeatedly found unable to stand trial.It was not clear what would happen...

March U.S. Tornado Activity Likely to Set Record

Apr 6 2022 // It appears there were more tornadoes across the U.S. this year in the month of March than ever before – possibly by a large margin.According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather...

Lawmakers Probing Amazon Labor Practices Following Illinois Tornado Deaths

Apr 5 2022 // The U.S. House Oversight Committee is opening an investigation into Amazon.com’s labor practices during extreme weather events, following the death of six workers during a swarm of tornados last year. In a letter...