Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

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

Wildfire Briefly Shut Dardanelles Strait to Shipping as Europe Battles Infernos

Aug 12 2025 // Wildfires briefly shut the Dardanelles Strait to shipping on Monday, as extreme heat and strong winds fueled blazes across the Mediterranean.The Dardanelles — a vital maritime chokepoint for oil and gas from the Black...

Update: Typhoon Podul Set to Strengthen Before Hitting Southern Taiwan

Aug 12 2025 // Eight of Taiwan’s southern and eastern regional governments decided to shut down schools and offices because of typhoon Podul, which is expected to reach the island on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and damaging wind...

Colorado Prison Evacuated as Growing Wildfire Becomes One of Largest in State History

Aug 12 2025 // A Colorado prison was evacuated as one of the largest wildfires in state history continued to grow, and officials warned residents of remote areas to be ready to leave Sunday as gusty winds and low humidity fed the...

CSU, NOAA Maintain Forecasts for Above-Average Hurricane Season

Aug 11 2025 // Colorado State University’s hurricane researchers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued updates to their 2025 Atlantic hurricane forecasts, with both maintaining calls for an...

Second California Wildfire Prompts Evacuations, Threatens Thousands of Structures

Aug 8 2025 // A brush fire in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles has forced thousands of evacuations, becoming one of two ongoing blazes of concern in California.The Canyon fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, which started on...

NC Residents Can Now Seek State Aid After Tropical Storm Chantal

Aug 8 2025 // RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Individuals in central North Carolina counties whose homes and belongings were damaged by massive rains last month from Tropical Storm Chantal can now seek state-funded financial grants for temporary...

Porsches Destroyed by LA Wildfires Get New Life as Stained Glass Art

Aug 8 2025 // Ben Tuna is good at transforming rusted-out, patina-eaten wrecks into art.For the past few months, in a nondescript stucco warehouse on a sleepy street in Glendale, California, he has used stained-glass salvaged from...

California Wildfire Has Burned 96K Acres and Now Threatens 1,500 Structures

Aug 7 2025 // A wildfire burning in two counties, now the biggest fire in California this year, is threatening more than 1,500 structures and has burned more than 96,000 acres.The Gifford Fire burning in San Luis Obispo and Santa...

Deadly Wildfires Ravage Southwest France as Heat Wave Builds

Aug 6 2025 // France’s biggest wildfire in about two decades ravaged vineyards and farms in southern France, leaving one person dead and forcing residents to flee.About 2,100 firefighters, assisted by aircraft, are working to...

California’s Largest Wildfire of 2025 Threatens 870 Structures

Aug 6 2025 // A wildfire in California that has become the biggest fire in the state this year, prompting evacuation orders and threatening hundreds of structures, has grown to 83,933 acres.The fire, which started on Aug. 2 and covers...

Global Insured Losses From Natural Disasters Could Top $150B in 2025: Swiss Re Report

Aug 6 2025 // Global insured losses from natural catastrophes hit US$80 billion in the first half of 2025, which is almost double the 10-year average between 2015 and 2024 and marks the fifth year in succession when H1 losses have...

California Wildfire Burns 72,460 Acres, Threatens Hundreds of Structures

Aug 5 2025 // A wildfire in California that covers two counties, and prompted evacuation orders and threatened hundreds of structures, has grown to 72,460 acres.The fire is threatening more than 870 structures, according to CalFire. At...

California Wildfire Burns 65,000 Acres in Los Padres Forest, Prompts Evacuations

Aug 4 2025 // A wildfire in California has prompted evacuation orders and threatened hundreds of structures.The wildfire has grown to 65,062 acres, and was only 3% contained. Firefighters have been battling the Gifford fire in Santa...

No Major Impact Reported as Small Earthquake Shakes New Jersey-New York Area

Aug 4 2025 // A small earthquake rattled the New York metropolitan area Saturday night.The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor had a magnitude of 3.0. It hit in the New Jersey suburb of Hasbrouck Heights, less than 8 miles (13...

The New Approach to Hurricane-Strong Homes? Concrete Walls, Wind-Resistant Roofs, But Affordable and Stylish

Aug 4 2025 // If wind mitigation and stronger homes are the paths to reducing insurance claims and bringing down premiums in hurricane-prone areas as a growing number of industry experts believe, then homeowners, builders and insurers...

Florida Meteorologist Predicts Where the Next Hurricane Will Hit–For a Price

Aug 4 2025 // Colorado State University’s hurricane research team, perhaps the best-known and most-often quoted forecasting service, in early July revised its prediction for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season downward slightly...

KCC Completes Review of California Wildfire Model

Aug 1 2025 // The California Department of Insurance completed a review of the KCC US Wildfire Reference Model Version 3.0, making it the state’s second wildfire catastrophe model.The new model for use by insurers in assessing...

Newsom Seeks $18B for Utilities’ Wildfire Fund as California Faces Future Blazes

Jul 31 2025 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom is circulating a legislative proposal to shore up a state fund for utilities that’s at risk of being depleted following the deadly wildfires that struck Los Angeles County in January.The...

Suspect in Michigan Walmart Stabbings Charged With Rarely Used Terrorism Count

Jul 31 2025 // A Michigan prosecutor filed a terrorism charge this wek against a man accused of stabbing 11 people at a Walmart store. The charge has been rarely used in the state’s courts since it was adopted more than 20 years...

Huge Quake Rocks Russia’s Far East, Triggering Tsunami Warnings Around Pacific

Jul 30 2025 // A very powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka coast on Wednesday triggered tsunami warnings as far away as French Polynesia and Chile, and was followed by an eruption of the most active...