Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Swiss Re Scores Profit Despite COVID Death Claims, Catastrophe Losses
May 3 2021 // Swiss Re reported consolidated net income of USD 333 million in the first quarter of 2021, despite heightened losses in its life and health reinsurance business related to COVID and property and casualty reinsurance losses...
Texas, Oklahoma Hailstorms Likely Caused $3.5B in Damage: Accuweather
Apr 30 2021 // Violent spring storms packing high winds and large hailstones in Texas and Oklahoma on April 28 likely caused $3.5 billion in damage, according to Accuweather.com. Additionally, the National Weather Service confirmed an...
Louisiana 2020 Hurricane Insured Claim Costs Still Rising
Apr 30 2021 // Insurers have increased by 25% since the end of last year estimates of the claims costs for three hurricanes that struck Louisiana in 2020, according to the state insurance department. The Louisiana Department of Insurance...
Pain, Loss Linger A Decade After Tornadoes Hammered 6 States Across South
Apr 28 2021 // For Tom Sanders, it’s the void left by the death of a cousin and the man’s wife, killed when a tornado mowed through a placid Alabama valley. To Markedia Wells, it’s the stolen innocence of her sons, who...
Delos Announces New Capacity for California Wildfire Areas
Apr 27 2021 // San Francisco, Calif.-based Delos Insurance Solutions announced an agreement with reinsurance companies that the firm said will result in a five-fold increase in insurance capacity for California homeowners in areas prone...
Are Brokers in for a Tsunami of Pandemic- Related E&O Claims in 2021?
Apr 27 2021 // This post is part of a series sponsored by Worldwide Facilities, an Amwins Company. In November 2020, attendees of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society’s first-ever virtual conference warned insurance...
S.D. Firefighter Landowner Suspects Arson as Large Wildfire Cause
Apr 26 2021 // A former wildland firefighter who owns the land where a burn pile ignited a large wildfire near Rapid City says he believe the blaze was intentionally set. In a 60-page report, the landowner told investigators he was...
North-Central Kansas Rattled by Small Earthquakes
Apr 26 2021 // Several small earthquakes have rattled north-central Kansas. The largest had a magnitude of 3.5 and was reported Friday in Jewell County. Two other quakes measuring 2.3 and 2.5 on the Richter scale were recorded Saturday...
Argo Group Estimates Q1 2021 Catastrophe Losses of $47 Million
Apr 22 2021 // Bermuda-based Argo Group International Holdings Ltd. announced estimated catastrophe losses of approximately $47 million for the first quarter of 2021. Argo expects to report Q1 natural catastrophe losses of approximately...
Coalition is Letting Californians Know May is Wildfire Awareness Month
Apr 22 2021 // Now is the time for Californians to prepare homes and communities for the coming wildfire season, the StrongerCA Coalition is warning. Last year saw a record-breaking wildfire season, with five of the 10 largest wildfires...
Cape Town Wildfire Largely Contained; Damage Assessment Begins
Apr 21 2021 // CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Fire crews had largely contained a big wildfire on the slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain on Tuesday as the city started to come to terms with the damage caused by what officials...
Everest Re Estimates Q1 2021 Catastrophe Losses of $260 Million
Apr 20 2021 // Bermuda-based Everest Re Group Ltd. estimates pre-tax catastrophe losses for the first quarter of $260 million. Breaking down that total, Everest said the Texas winter storms will cost $250 million, while Australia’s...
Insurers Report Estimated Q1 Catastrophe Losses
Apr 20 2021 // Carriers are starting to report their pretax catastrophe loss estimates for the 2021 first quarter, and the numbers are significant. Below are preliminary numbers from Allstate, Arch, AXIS, and The Hanover. *** The...
70 Homes Across Mississippi Damaged by 4 Tornadoes
Apr 20 2021 // Four tornadoes that moved across Mississippi earlier this month caused damage to around 70 homes, emergency officials said Thursday. Four businesses and three farms were also damaged. There have been no reports of injuries...
Another Earthquake Reported Near Louisiana-Texas Border
Apr 19 2021 // A second earthquake has sent some shock waves to parts of north Louisiana near the Texas border. A 3.1 magnitude earthquake was registered about 7:43 p.m. on April 15, about 6 miles west of Blanchard, Louisiana and near...
Wildfire on Cape Town’s Table Mountain Rages Out of Control
Apr 19 2021 // More than 250 firefighters in Cape Town battled a massive blaze that broke out on the slopes of the city’s Table Mountain on Sunday and spread to a university campus, severely damaging at least three buildings and...
Arch Capital Estimates Q1 Catastrophe Losses Could Reach $190 Million
Apr 19 2021 // Arch Capital Group Ltd. estimated a range of pretax catastrophe losses of $180 million to $190 million for the first quarter across its property casualty insurance and reinsurance segments. A major reason for the claims...
Farmers Insurance to Pay $25M in Settlement Over Oklahoma Earthquake Claims
Apr 19 2021 // Oklahoma has reached a $25 million settlement with Farmers Insurance over the company’s handling of earthquake claims, state officials say. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter and Insurance Commissioner Glen...
California Toughens PG&E Wildfire Safety Oversight
Apr 16 2021 // California officials on Thursday voted to toughen oversight of Pacific Gas & Electric, saying the utility had largely failed to perform required tree-trimming work near power lines in areas with the highest risk of...
AXIS Capital Estimates Q1 Pre-Tax Catastrophe Losses of $105M-$115M
Apr 15 2021 // Bermuda-based AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. announced a preliminary, pre-tax first quarter net loss estimate for catastrophes and other weather-related events in the range of $105 million to $115 million, or $95 million to...
