Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Severe Weather Spawns Tornado, Damage and One Death in South, Midwest
Apr 4 2024 // Thousands of homes and businesses were without power Tuesday as severe weather roared through several states, causing at least one death and spawning possible tornadoes. Parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Mississippi,...
Utility Company Skips Texas Panhandle Wildfire Hearings
Apr 4 2024 // AMPA — A company hired to inspect utility poles in the Panhandle declined to testify before Texas lawmakers Wednesday, as part of the state’s inquiry into the Smokehouse Creek fire — the largest wildfire in state...
States Across the US Midwest Are on Alert for Tornadoes: Weather Watch
Apr 2 2024 // Storms and tornadoes are in the forecast for states across the Midwest in the US, with further weather warnings and advisories stretching further east. There is a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms — which could bring...
Arkansas Officials Mark Anniversary of Deadly Tornado
Apr 1 2024 // LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas and local officials hailed the response from emergency workers, community groups and individuals on Friday as they marked the one-year anniversary of tornadoes that tore through the...
Bird Flu is Another Blow to ‘Cattle Country’ Following Wildfires
Mar 28 2024 // LUBBOCK — Cows in the Texas Panhandle have tested positive for the bird flu, another blow to the Texas dairy industry following historic wildfires that killed at least 7,000 livestock. The discovery, reported at three...
Accuweather Predicts Above-Average 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Mar 27 2024 // Accuweather meteorologists are predicting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season with as many as 20-25 named storms. The 2024 hurricane season is forecast to feature 8-12 hurricanes including 4-7 major hurricanes. This...
Subpoenas on Agencies and Officials Delay Release of Key Report into Deadly Hawaii Wildfire
Mar 27 2024 // Hawaii’s attorney general blamed a delay of the release of a key report into a deadly Maui wildfire on county agencies that forced investigators to issue subpoenas. The first phase of an independent investigation...
Virginia Still Battling Shenandoah Valley Wildfires
Mar 24 2024 // Crews who have been battling still-burning wildfires in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley this week have gotten an assist from rain and from the state government, which has deployed new resources to the area, officials...
West Texas Ranchers Face Losses After Historic Wildfires
Mar 20 2024 // LUBBOCK — There are burned spots on Jay O’Brien’s ranch outside Stinnett that predate the Smokehouse Creek fire. Over the last several months, small fires — ones that weren’t pushed by strong winds or...
Subpoenas on Maui Agencies and Officials Delay Release of Report Into Wildfire
Mar 20 2024 // Hawaii’s attorney general blamed a delay of the release of a key report into a deadly Maui wildfire on county agencies that forced investigators to issue subpoenas. The first phase of an independent investigation...
Midwest Tornado Outbreak Linked to Record Winter Warmth
Mar 19 2024 // This winter’s record warmth provided the key ingredient for a Midwest outbreak of deadly tornadoes and damaging gorilla hail that hit parts of the Midwest last Wednesday and Thursday, tornado experts said. At least...
Maui’s Mayor Prioritizes Vows to Hire More Firefighters After Hawaii Wildfire
Mar 19 2024 // Maui’s mayor says he is prioritizing housing, evaluating evacuation routes and hiring more firefighters as his Hawaii community recovers from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Mayor Richard Bissen...
Long Recovery Ahead for Swath of Central US Hit by Deadly Tornadoes
Mar 18 2024 // LAKEVIEW, Ohio (AP) — Residents in a swath of the central U.S. hit by deadly tornadoes were cleaning up, assessing damage and helping neighbors on Saturday. But it will be a long recovery from the storms that ripped...
Texas Firefighters Completely Contain Panhandle Wildfire
Mar 18 2024 // LUBBOCK — Firefighters have completely contained the Smokehouse Creek fire in Hutchinson County after a nearly three-week battle with what quickly became the largest wildfire in Texas history. That inferno and a series...
Southern California Edison to Pay $80M to US Over 2017 Wildfire
Mar 18 2024 // Southern California Edison agreed to pay the United States $80 million to cover costs and damages incurred by the U.S. Forest Service from the 2017 Thomas wildfire in California’s Los Padres National Forecast, the...
Allstate’s Florida Company Defends 54% Condo Rate Hike. Blames Reinsurance, Hurricane, Rapid Growth
Mar 18 2024 // When Allstate’s Florida unit, Castle Key Indemnity Co., entered the surging condominium insurance market in 2020, it looked like it had made a smart bet: Within two years, the carrier had added no fewer than 123,000...
AccuWeather Warns of ‘Super-Charged’ 2024 Hurricane Season
Mar 18 2024 // AccuWeather experts warn that the return La Nina and historically warm water across the Atlantic Ocean could contribute to a “super-charged” hurricane season in 2024. AccuWeather long-range forecasters say that...
Hamilton Insurance Group Sponsors Catastrophe Bond Easton Re
Mar 15 2024 // Hamilton Insurance Group Ltd., the Bermuda-based re/insurer, announced the sponsorship of a new catastrophe bond through the issuance of Series 2024-1 notes by Easton Re Ltd. Easton Re will provide the company’s...
Terrorist Threat to US Has Reached ‘Whole Other Level,’ FBI’s Wray Warns
Mar 15 2024 // Terrorist threats toward the US have reached a “whole other level” from the already heightened situation before the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel and its response, FBI Director Christopher Wray said...
California Insurance Commissioner: Allow Cat Modeling in Rates for Wildfires
Mar 14 2024 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said he will allow catastrophe modeling to be used in rate regulation for wildfires, a move he says will help restore insurance options for Californians. It was the latest...
