Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Allstate Reports $731M in Q1 Pretax Catastrophe Losses
Apr 19 2024 // Allstate Corporation estimated pretax catastrophe losses of $731 million, with $328 million from the month of March. Six events contributed to the $343 million total for March — before favorable reserve re-estimates...
Wildfires Are Upending Some of the Safest Bets on Wall Street
Apr 18 2024 // When the Texas Panhandle went up in flames this winter, the news spread fast on Wall Street. An electric utility by the name of Xcel Energy Inc. was getting blamed for the massive blaze — a lawsuit pointed the finger at...
Rupture on TC Energy’s NGTL Gas Pipeline Sparks Wildfire in Alberta
Apr 17 2024 // A section of TC Energy’s NGTL gas pipeline system in Alberta ruptured and caught fire on Tuesday, sparking a wildfire in a remote area, the company said. “An initial ignition of natural gas at the rupture site...
Nebraska, Kansas Brace for Possibly More Tornados: Weather Watch
Apr 16 2024 // Wild weather is sweeping the central US on Tuesday with tornado watches posted across parts of Nebraska and Kansas and an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms later in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois, the National Weather...
Drought, Heat Raise Risk of Repeat of Canada’s Record-Breaking Wildfires of 2023
Apr 12 2024 // Canada’s emergency preparedness minister warned Wednesday the country’s wildfire season could be more explosive than last year when it led to unprecedented smoke conditions across much of the country and into...
Green Shield Risk, Striior Announce Wildfire Analytics and Underwriting Collaboration
Apr 11 2024 // Striior Insurance Solutions a managing general agent specializing in builder’s risk and a division of Intact Insurance Specialty Solutions, has partnered with Green Shield Risk Solutions, a Chicago-based catastrophe...
Florida’s Slide Insurance Secures $210 Million Catastrophe Bond
Apr 11 2024 // Tampa-based Slide Insurance announced it has finalized pricing for its $210 million Purple Re Ltd. (Series 2024-1) catastrophe bond. The largest cat bond sponsored by Slide to date, Purple Re Ltd. provides 40% more in...
US Wildfires Are Getting Bigger and More Complex, Prompting Changes in Firefighting
Apr 11 2024 // It’s shaping up to be a long wildfire season, with Texas already seeing its largest blaze in recorded history and firefighters becoming overwhelmed with recent blazes in Virginia. Just in the first three months of...
Europe’s Wildfires in 2023 Were Among Worst This Century: Report
Apr 11 2024 // The 2023 wildfire season in the Europe was among the worst this century, according to a European Commission report published on Wednesday. Last year, more than half a million (504,002) hectares, an area twice the size of...
Two Oklahoma Firefighters Injured Battling Wildfire That Prompted Evacuations
Apr 10 2024 // MOORELAND, Okla. (AP) — Two Oklahoma volunteer firefighters are recovering after suffering burns battling a weekend wildfire in northwest Oklahoma, officials said. Mooreland firefighters Jared Brittain and Max Clark...
West Virginia Saw 5 Tornadoes Last Week, Double the Yearly Average
Apr 10 2024 // CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The National Weather Service on Monday confirmed a fifth tornado touched down during severe storms that barreled across West Virginia last week. That’s more than double the state’s...
Slow Recovery in Mississippi a Year After Tornado Ripped Town Apart
Apr 9 2024 // OLLING FORK, Miss. (AP) — As a deadly tornado barreled toward their home in the Mississippi Delta, Ida Cartlidge only had time to scoop up her 1-year-old son, Nolan, and hold him close. Cartlidge huddled with her husband...
New York City’s Skyscrapers Are Built to Withstand Most Earthquakes
Apr 9 2024 // The ground rumbled Friday beneath New York City, home to famous skyscrapers like the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. Though buildings that can reach above 100 stories might seem especially vulnerable to...
Tech Update: Verisk Launches Next Generation Catastrophe Models
Apr 8 2024 // Verisk, the Jersey City, New Jersey-based data analytics and technology provider, has launched a suite of next generation catastrophe models. Verisk’s suite of 100+ Next Generation Models (NGM) is designed to help...
Hurricane-Force Winds Leave 150,000 Without Power in Colorado
Apr 8 2024 // More than 150,000 Xcel Energy Inc. customers in Colorado are without electricity amid hurricane-force winds — and some may not get power back until Monday. Those affected include about 55,000 customers who had their...
Florida Panhandle Wildfire Destroys Home, Damages 15 Others
Apr 8 2024 // PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A wildfire in the Florida Panhandle has destroyed a home and damaged at least 15 others. The Florida Forest Service said Friday that the blaze, which broke out Thursday near Pensacola, was now more...
East Coast 4.8 Earthquake Causes Disruption But No Injuries or Sweeping Damage
Apr 7 2024 // An unusual East Coast earthquake shook millions of people from New York and Philadelphia skyscrapers to rural New England on Friday, causing no widespread damage but startling an area unaccustomed to temblors. The U.S....
New York-New Jersey Area Shaken by 4.8 Earthquake
Apr 5 2024 // A 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook the New Jersey-New York area this morning at about 10:23 am, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake’s epicenter was near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey....
Florida OIR Says Enhanced Data Reporting on Hurricane Ian Claims is Due April 17
Apr 5 2024 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is reminding carriers that additional data is due April 17 on Hurricane Ian claims. All property insurers are required by law to submit the enhanced catastrophe reports, including...
Weather Forecasters Predict ‘Extremely Active’ 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Apr 4 2024 // Weather forecasters at Colorado State University (CSU) on Thursday predicted an “extremely active” 2024 Atlantic hurricane season because of warm sea surface temperatures and less wind shear to break up storms...
