Latest Natural Disasters Headlines

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

University Study Poses Possible Future for Western Wildfires as a Decade-Long Burst, Followed by Gradual Decline

Jul 28 2021 // Newswise — In recent years, wildfires on the West Coast have become larger and more damaging. A combination of almost a century of fire suppression and hotter and drier conditions has created a tinderbox ready to ignite,...

Tornadoes Confirmed Near Flint, Detroit, Michigan

Jul 27 2021 // The National Weather Service says tornadoes struck near Detroit and near Flint on the evening of July 24.The two EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Genesee County’s Clayton Township around 6:30 p.m. and in Oakland County...

Court Affirms Miami Condo Tower Hurricane Damage Award That Disappointed Both Sides

Jul 27 2021 // The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a jury verdict that found an insurer liable for $2.6 million in damages to a Miami condominium tower caused by Hurricane Irma, rejecting arguments made in appeals filed by parties...

Winds Feeding California’s Largest Wildfire

Jul 27 2021 // It could be days before officials will be able to assess the damage done to a small town by California’s largest wildfire, one of dozens of blazes scorching lands across the U.S. West.Over the weekend, the massive...

Viewpoint: Is California Serious About Addressing the Wildfire Risk? Not So Much.

Jul 27 2021 // Recent state budget actions by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature make a strong argument that the state is not serious about addressing the state’s immense wildfire risk. Unquestionably,...

Firefighters Injured While Fighting Montana Wildfire

Jul 26 2021 // Five firefighters were injured when a thunderstorm and swirling winds in central Montana blew a lightning-caused wildfire back on them, federal officials said.All five remained in medical facilities and were still being...

California’s Largest Wildfire Torches Homes as Blazes Lash West

Jul 26 2021 // Flames racing through rugged terrain in Northern California destroyed multiple homes over the weeked as the state’s largest wildfire intensified and numerous other blazes battered the U.S. West.The Dixie fire, which...

Global Supply Chains Driven to Breaking Point on New COVID Wave, Natural Disasters

Jul 26 2021 // LONDON/BEIJING – A new worldwide wave of COVID-19. Natural disasters in China and Germany. A cyber attack targeting key South African ports.Events have conspired to drive global supply chains towards breaking point,...

Update: China’s Financial Hub of Shanghai at Virtual Standstill as Typhoon Makes Landfall

Jul 26 2021 // Typhoon In-Fa, the powerful storm battering regions around Shanghai, has forced some of the world’s biggest shipping ports to halt operations until at least Tuesday.All of Shanghai’s ports and some in...

5% Rate Increase Recommended for Texas Windstorm Insurer

Jul 22 2021 // The Actuarial & Underwriting Committee for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) has recommended that the association’s board vote at its Aug. 3 meeting to file for a 5% rate increase for residential...

PG&E in California’s Will Pay to Bury Power Lines to Prevent Wildfires

Jul 22 2021 // California power company Pacific Gas and Electric said on Wednesday it would bury 10,000 miles of power lines in high-risk fire zones as a safety measure after its equipment caused multiple destructive wildfires over...

First Half Insured Losses From Natural Disasters Reach 10-Year High

Jul 21 2021 // Insured losses from natural disasters hit a 10-year high of $42 billion in the first half of 2021, with the biggest loss related to extreme cold in the United States in February, insurance broker Aon said on...

PG&E Says Equipment Possibly Linked to Big California Wildfire

Jul 21 2021 // Pacific Gas & Electric reported to California utility regulators that its equipment may have been involved in the start of a fire burning in the Sierra Nevada that is threatening hundreds of homes.PG&E said in a...

In the Face of a Severe California Wildfire Season, is The Oft-Used ‘Mitigation’ Word Too Little Too Late?

Jul 20 2021 // It may have been around 2017 when a true sense of urgency donned on insurers, public officials, residents and regulators in wildfire-prone California, as fires destroyed or damaged more than 10,000 structures in the state,...

M5.1 Earthquake Confirmed off Northern California Coast

Jul 20 2021 // A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck off the Northern California coast late Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed.The earthquake just before midnight was about 12 kilometers west of Petrolia in Humboldt County and 56...

Solar Industry, Owners Warned to Take Steps to Mitigate Wildfire Risk

Jul 20 2021 // Noting that wildfire is a growing source of loss for both wind and solar power producers and insurers, one of the insurers is urging the U.S. solar industry to act to mitigate wildfire risk over the coming months or face...

26 Tornadoes Swept Iowa on July 14, Preliminary Data Shows

Jul 19 2021 // Preliminary data shows more than two dozen tornadoes tore across Iowa on July 14, according to the National Weather Service.The service said in a tweet that it appears 26 tornadoes touched down. If that number holds true,...

Lake Charles Mayor Seeks More Hurricane Aid from Washington

Jul 19 2021 // The mayor of a southwest Louisiana city recovering from back-to-back blows from Hurricanes Laura and Delta is in Washington hoping to persuade federal officials to steer more aid to the region where rebuilding is...

Oregon Wildfire Burns More than 476 Square Miles

Jul 19 2021 // Erratic winds and dry lightning added to the dangers for crews battling the nation’s largest wildfire over the weekend in parched Oregon forests, just one of dozens burning across several Western states.The...

Takeaways from Our Conversation on The Impact of California Wildfires on Cannabis Insurance

Jul 19 2021 // Powered by InsuranceJournal.tvThe California wildfire season is shaping up to be an ugly one, with a worsening drought and soaring temperatures in the Western U.S. Wildfires are already blazing across numerous states. As...