Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Lingering Drought and Wildfires Plague Texas, Threatening Water Supplies and Agriculture
Oct 3 2023 // A lingering drought affecting more than 80% of Texas is causing wildfires, hurting agriculture and drying up water supplies throughout the state. This year’s drought comes less than a year after Texas experienced one...
Many US Cities Vulnerable to Low Water Pressure Amid Wildfire Dangers
Oct 2 2023 // Hours before devastating fires scorched the historic town of Lahaina on Maui, Kyle Ellison labored to save his rental house in Kula, a rural mountain town 24 miles away, from a different blaze. As high winds whipped...
Washington Asks Insurers to Expedite Approval Process for Debris Removal After Wildfires
Oct 2 2023 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler sent a letter asking insurance companies and adjusters working with communities impacted by the Gray and Oregon Road fires to expedite the approval process for debris...
Insurance Industry Should Expect $130 Billion in Catastrophe Losses Every Year: Verisk
Oct 2 2023 // Total global insured losses from natural catastrophes of more than $100 billion a year may be less newsworthy than in the past. In fact, the industry should expect loss totals of much more than that every year, according...
Tornado-damaged Pfizer Plant in North Carolina Restarts Production
Sep 27 2023 // ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (AP) — A major Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in North Carolina that makes critical supplies for U.S. hospitals has restarted production about 10 weeks after it was heavily damaged by a tornado, the...
Federal Judge Rejects Law Firm’s Claim for Hurricane Damage Lawsuit Fees, Citing Illegal Client Acquisition
Sep 26 2023 // A federal judge rejected a request by McClenny Moseley & Associates to claim an interest in legal fees and expenses from a hurricane damage lawsuit, saying the law firm obtained its clients illegally by using a...
Residents Prepare to Return to Sites Of Homes Demolished In Lahaina Wildfire
Sep 26 2023 // From just outside the burn zone in Lahaina, Jes Claydon can see the ruins of the rental home where she lived for 13 years and raised three children. Little remains recognizable beyond the jars of sea glass that stood...
Movie Star Anthony Mackie Returns to New Orleans to Repair Hurricane-Damaged Roofs
Sep 25 2023 // NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Movie star Anthony Mackie was back in his home town – and back at an old job – as he took part in a program to repair roofs damaged by natural disasters for people who aren’t financially or...
Tech Startups in US, France, Germany Help in Fight Against Wildfires
Sep 25 2023 // This year has been a challenging one for Phil Schneider, who hasn’t seen wildfire behavior like this in his 47-year firefighting career. Blazes raged through more than 2,000 acres of wildland in recent months in his...
US Wildfire Fighters Are Hitting a Pay Cliff at the Worst Time
Sep 25 2023 // In Fairbanks, Alaska, the US Forest Service is looking to hire a smokejumper, a person who parachutes out of a rickety airplane to wrangle wildfires that break out far from roads or rivers. Little experience is necessary;...
Allstate Records About $640M in August Cat Losses, Half From Maui Wildfire
Sep 21 2023 // Allstate reported about $641 million in August catastrophe losses from 18 events, with about half coming from the Maui wildfire. The losses for the month of August were $551 million or $435 million, after-tax, partially...
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Shows Unusual Risk Appetite in Wildfire Court Fight
Sep 21 2023 // Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co.’s PacifiCorp has been battered in an unprecedented court fight over the utility’s failure to prevent massive wildfire destruction in Oregon. The largest grid operator in the...
Florida OIR Wants Enhanced Hurricane Ian Data by Sept. 27. Claims Have Topped 740,000
Sep 21 2023 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is reminding carriers that additional information about Hurricane Ian claims is due no later than Sept. 27. By law, the office is required to collect data after hurricanes. Simple...
Louisiana Battling Unprecedented Wildfire Season Amidst Record Heat and Drought
Sep 19 2023 // BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Louisiana, typically one of the wettest states in the country, is on fire. In communities often challenged by flooding and hurricanes this time of year, firefighters instead are fending off...
Maui Wildfires Portend Unprecedented Shift in What It Means To Mitigate Risk
Sep 18 2023 // The Maui wildfires portend a grand and incalculable reality for every single one of us living on this spinning blue globe we call Earth. Understanding the risks associated with where we live, work and play may be reaching...
Weather Service Confirms 4 Tornadoes Hit New England This Week
Sep 15 2023 // Four tornadoes touched down in the New England area on Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Boston has confirmed. A severe thunderstorm produced four tornadoes for about 90 minutes beginning at 4:00 p.m. They...
California Regulators Propose Higher Rates for PG&E Customers to Reduce Wildfire Risk
Sep 15 2023 // Power bills for about 16 million people in Northern California will likely increase after state regulators released two rate proposals for one of the nation`s largest utilities. The California Public Utilities Commission...
Lee Heads to New England; Maine on Hurricane Watch
Sep 15 2023 // Coastal communities from Cape Cod to Canada are expecting Hurricane Lee to arrive tonight and Saturday, bringing coastal flooding, damaging winds and heavy rains. The National Hurricane Center placed Maine under a...
Hurricane Lee to Push Unusual Cape Cod Bay Surge: Weather Watch
Sep 14 2023 // Hurricane Lee’s winds are dropping but its size continues to swell as it comes north toward New England and the Canadian Maritimes where the storm will bring coastal flooding and possible widespread power outages...
Already Soaked New England Warned of More Flooding Today, Hurricane Lee on Weekend
Sep 13 2023 // Already saturated communities in New England are facing continued heavy rains with additional flooding today and the prospect of even more bad weather from Hurricane Lee over the coming weekend. The National Weather...
