Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Unusually Warm Atlantic Ocean Is Supercharging Hurricane Idalia
Aug 29 2023 // Hurricane Idalia, now a Category 1 storm, is expected to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday. The hurricane’s likely transformation between now and then will be due in part to the unusually...
Citizens Suspends Binding, Could Be Most Affected as Hurricane Aims for Big Bend
Aug 29 2023 // Florida property insurers were keeping their fingers crossed Tuesday as the latest projections indicated that the worst of Hurricane Idalia may miss some of the most heavily populated parts of the state’s west...
Catastrophe Experts Discuss Maui’s Long Road to Recovery
Aug 29 2023 // While wildfire search and rescue efforts continued in Maui, a group of CoreLogic experts gathered online last week to discuss the island’s road to recovery through an insurance lens. Panelists analyzed the...
Hawaiian Electric Calls Maui County’s Wildfire Lawsuit ‘Irresponsible’
Aug 29 2023 // Hawaiian Electric HE.N said the lawsuit filed against it by the county of Maui was “factually and legally irresponsible,” pointing to the county’s responsibility in the Hawaii wildfires. The...
Severe Storms and Tornado Cause Damage and Power Outages in Michigan, Leaving 5 Dead
Aug 28 2023 // CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) – At least one tornado touched down in Michigan as part of severe storms powered by winds of up to 75 mph (121 kph) that downed trees, tore roofs off buildings and killed five people while...
More Than 600 Firefighters, Water-Dropping Planes Struggle to Control Greece Wildfires
Aug 28 2023 // More than 600 firefighters, including reinforcements from several European countries and backed by a fleet of water-dropping planes and helicopters, were battling three major wildfires in Greece Sunday, two of which have...
Washington Commissioner’s Orders Insurers to Extend Policyholders Protections for Wildfires
Aug 25 2023 // Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued an emergency order requiring all property/casualty insurers to provide additional protections for policyholders impacted by the Gray and Oregon Road fires. The...
Wildfires Ravage Louisiana Amidst Record Heat and Drought
Aug 25 2023 // BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Hundreds of wildfires are burning in Louisiana, as triple-digit temperatures continue to scorch parts of the state amid little chance of relief because of the lack of rain in the forecast. While...
Tornado Cash Founders Charged by US in Money Laundering Scheme
Aug 25 2023 // Two founders of Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixing service that has been under scrutiny by various US agencies for more than a year, were charged with helping launder more than $1 billion for clients that included a...
Shareholders Sue Hawaiian Electric Over Maui Wildfires
Aug 24 2023 // Shareholders of Hawaiian Electric HE.N on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the utility provider in a San Francisco federal court, alleging the company’s failure to disclose important information about its wildfire...
FEMA Has Paid Out $5.6M so far to Hawaii Wildfire Survivors
Aug 24 2023 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has approved more than $5.6 million in assistance to nearly 2,000 households in Maui so far as the federal government tries to help survivors of the devastating...
Athens Wildfires Burn Part of Forest in Mount Parnitha After Destroying Homes
Aug 24 2023 // A wildfire near the Greek capital burned part of the forest in mount Parnitha, after destroying homes and cars, while Athens prepares for another difficult day as authorities have issued a high alert warning for fires on...
Louisiana Policyholders Have Until Aug. 29 to File Hurricane Ida Lawsuits
Aug 23 2023 // Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon is reminding policyholders who filed a property damage claim as a result of Hurricane Ida that they have until August 29, 2023, to file suit against their insurer for insurance...
Tropical Storm Harold Makes Landfall on South Texas Coast
Aug 23 2023 // PADRE ISLAND, Texas (AP) – Tropical Storm Harold made landfall on the South Texas coast Tuesday, where it is expected to bring wind gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kmh) in areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. Forecasters said...
Climate Change Doubled Odds of Eastern Canada’s Extreme Wildfire Weather: Research
Aug 23 2023 // This summer’s wildfires in eastern Canada have raged so intensely that smoke from them darkened skies as far away as Portugal. From the outset, scientists said that Canada’s historic wildfire season bore the...
Grant Extended to Fire-Harden Homes, Businesses Damaged by Oregon Wildfires
Aug 23 2023 // The Oregon Building Codes Division has partnered with counties on a grant to help homeowners and businesses rebuild after the 2020 and 2021 Oregon wildfires. People who own a home or business damaged or destroyed by the...
Weather Service Confirms Five Tornadoes Hit New England Last Week
Aug 23 2023 // The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down in Connecticut last Friday, joining a spate of four other twisters detected Friday in New England, including three in Massachusetts and another in Rhode...
Moody’s RMS Estimates $4B to $6B in Economic Losses from Hawaii Wildfires
Aug 22 2023 // Moody’s RMS issued estimates on Tuesday showing economic losses from the recent Lahaina Conflagration and Kula wildfires in Hawaii at $4 billion to $6 billion. The loss estimate reflects property damage, contents,...
Insured Losses From Natural Catastrophes Set to Top $100 Billion for 3rd Year in a Row
Aug 22 2023 // Claims for weather-related incidents are set to exceed $100 billion for the third year in a row, as floods, hail and wildfires linked to climate change become more frequent. Munich Re has put the total global insured costs...
Tropical Storm Hilary Damage and Economic Loss Estimate in Western U.S. is $7B to $9B
Aug 21 2023 // AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Tropical Storm Hilary in the U.S. is $7 to $9 billion. Hilary brought widespread flooding through Southern California, washing out roads...
