Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Typhoon Mawar Is Most Powerful Storm of 2023, So Far
May 26 2023 // Mawar is now one of the three strongest storms ever to hit the North Pacific in May and is the undisputed most powerful — in terms of windspeed — of 2023 so far, according to Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for Yale...
California Department of Insurance Bans Sender of Misleading Wildfire Mailers
May 26 2023 // A California Department of Insurance investigation into misleading mailers on insurance claims following wildfires led to a ban of public adjuster and California Recovery Group owner Argen Youssefi of Glendale. The...
Lawmakers Warn Leaky, Crumbling UK Parliament at Risk of ‘Catastrophic’ Event
May 22 2023 // Britain’s Parliament building is an architectural masterpiece, a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by 1 million people a year. It’s also a crumbling, leaky, asbestos-riddled structure at “real and...
No Respite for Wildfire-Hit Alberta as Conditions Set to Worsen
May 19 2023 // Abnormally hot and dry weather is set to return to Alberta on Thursday after a couple of cooler days helped calm wildfires that have forced thousands of evacuations and disrupted production in Canada’s main oil-rich...
Washington’s Proposed Wildfire Smoke Designed to Protect Workers from Dangers
May 19 2023 // The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries filed proposed permanent wildfire smoke rules and launched a formal process for public input designed to protect people who work outdoor jobs like construction,...
Texas Windstorm Insurance Group Getting Update on Cat Funding for 2023 Season
May 15 2023 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association Board of Directors will meet at the Austin Marriott South on May 23 at 9 a.m. In addition to the TWIA board’s consideration of routine association updates, the board will...
Tornado Hit South Texas Near The Gulf Coast, Damaging Dozens of Homes
May 15 2023 // One person was killed and a curfew was imposed after a powerful tornado tore through a community near the southern tip of Texas before dawn Saturday, damaging dozens of residences and knocking down power lines, authorities...
5.5M Earthquake, Large Aftershock Hit Northern
May 15 2023 // Earthquakes have rattled a large area of Northern California this week, but only minor damage was immediately reported. A magnitude 5.5 quake centered in the Sierra Nevada’s Lake Almanor resort region struck at 4:19...
New Mexico Officials Say FEMA Delays Create Mistrust Among Wildfire Victims
May 12 2023 // Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation are criticizing federal emergency managers for missing deadlines as residents seek recovery assistance following the largest wildfire in the state’s recorded...
Update: Wildfires Rage Across Canada’s Gas Heartland, Cutting Production
May 8 2023 // Wildfires raging across western Canada forced the evacuation of 30,000 residents and cut at least 234,000 barrels a day of oil and gas production as companies shut down wells and pipelines. A total of 100 blazes were...
People Moves: Beazley’s Cyber Security Unit Lodestone Appoints Kizziah as CEO; Howden Tiger Fac Names Warne From Inigo to Lead Terrorism & Political Violence
May 8 2023 // This edition of International People Moves details appointments at cybersecurity firm Lodestone Security and the broker Howden Tiger Fac. A summary of these new hires follows here. Beazley’s Cyber Security Unit...
Southern California Got Snow, Rain, Tornado in Spring Storm
May 5 2023 // An unseasonably cold storm coated Southern California mountains with snow, dumped heavy rain elsewhere and spawned a small tornado Thursday as spring struggled to shake the grip of an exceptionally wet winter. More than 4...
Allstate Posts Loss With ‘Exceptionally’ High Catastrophe Costs
May 4 2023 // Allstate Corp. posted a bigger first-quarter loss than analysts expected as higher premiums failed to offset rising auto costs and soaring catastrophe losses. The company reported a $342 million loss on an adjusted basis...
Lawmakers from Western States Want More Done to Confront Wildfire Crisis
May 2 2023 // Lawmakers from several western states want the U.S. Forest Service to do more to address a wildfire crisis that they say will surely destroy more landscapes, communities and livelihoods as long-term drought persists around...
Recovery Continues After Tornado Hits Palm Beach Gardens
May 2 2023 // A tornado touched down in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Saturday as a powerful storm system brought intense rain and powerful winds to the state, overturning cars, damaging homes and snapping tree branches. The National...
Virginia Beach Tornado Causes $15M in Residential Damage; No Reports of Injuries
May 1 2023 // The Virginia Beach community in southeastern Virginia was hit by a tornado on Sunday, April 30, just minutes before 6:00 pm. City Manager Patrick Duhaney declared a state of emergency. Officials said there were no reported...
Wildfires in Alaska? Climate Change Sparks Disaster Fears
May 1 2023 // Research on a flat spot for air evacuations. Talk of old-style civil defense sirens to warn of fast-moving wildfires. Hundreds of urban firefighters training in wildland firefighting techniques while snow still blankets...
Mississippi Tire Plant Partly Covered, Will Reopen in June After Tornado
May 1 2023 // A northeast Mississippi tire plant that was damaged by an April tornado is expected to restart production in June. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said this week that it was likely to take several months for its Cooper Tire...
Lawsuit Seeks to Recover $3M Invested in Louisiana Hurricane-Damage Lawsuits
Apr 28 2023 // A restoration contractor that helped finance an effort by McClenny Moseley & Associates to file thousands of hurricane-damage claims in Louisiana wants its $3 million investment back. Access Restoration Services US...
$1.6B Trial Starts Against Utility Over Fatal 2020 Oregon Wildfires
Apr 28 2023 // PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A trial connected to a $1.6 billion class action lawsuit against utility PacifiCorp over the catastrophic Labor Day 2020 wildfires in Oregon started Tuesday in Portland. The fires in 2020 killed...
