Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
How Uninsured Residents of Maryland’s Smith Island Help Each Other in Tornado Recovery
Oct 17 2022 // The aftermath of the tornado that struck Smith Island is still visible two months after it carved a destructive path through the sparsely populated Chesapeake Bay archipelago. The EF1 tornado began as a waterspout that...
Series of Tesla Fires in Florida Linked to Saltwater Damage From Hurricane Ian
Oct 17 2022 // A Florida senator is calling for action from the Transportation Department and automakers after a series of electric vehicle fires tied to Hurricane Ian. The storm caused flooding and destruction across the state, and fire...
Will Hurricane Ian Consume Florida’s Catastrophe Fund, Forcing More Back-Breaking Reinsurance Next Year?
Oct 17 2022 // While some analysts are predicting that the property insurance industry will be able to manage Hurricane Ian and its estimated $50 billion in insured losses, a few are now warning that the storm could significantly erode...
Over 329K Missourians to Partake in Statewide Earthquake Drill
Oct 13 2022 // A week before Missouri’s annual statewide earthquake drill, more than 329,000 people are already registered to participate in the Great Central U. S. “ShakeOut” on October 20. A total of nearly 2 million...
‘Hardening’ Property Catastrophe Market Enters ‘Hard’ Market Phase: Bank of America
Oct 12 2022 // European reinsurers will miss their earnings targets in 2022 – for the sixth year in a row – which is pressuring the industry to raise rates and continue improving the quality of their portfolios, according to a...
Stonybrook Capital Says Hurricane Ian Is Largest-Ever Insured Loss Event at Over $75B
Oct 12 2022 // According to Stonybrook Capital, the damage from Hurricane Ian will result in the largest-ever insured loss event in nominal dollars. The advisory and investment banking firm focused on the insurance industry said the...
How One Computer Forecast Model Botched Hurricane Ian
Oct 11 2022 // As Hurricane Ian bore down on Florida, normally reliable computer forecast models couldn’t agree on where the killer storm would land. But government meteorologists are now figuring out what went wrong – and...
Hawaii Volcano Unrest, But No Signs of Imminent Eruption
Oct 11 2022 // Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on the planet, is in a “state of heightened unrest,” but is not erupting and there are no signs of an imminent eruption, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in an...
IICF Launches Hurricane Ian Relief Fund
Oct 10 2022 // The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) has launched the IICF Hurricane Ian Relief Fund to support those in need in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Funds will benefit Team Rubicon, a nonprofit providing emergency...
M4.4 Earthquake Confirmed in Northwest Oregon
Oct 10 2022 // A 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck northwest Oregon, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. No damage was reported but KOIN reports that people from Albany to the Portland metro area reported feeling the temblor on...
California Updating Tsunami Hazard Maps for Seven Counties
Oct 10 2022 // The California Geological Survey has released updated tsunami hazard maps for seven counties to help users determine whether they are in areas at risk for inundation and for planning. The revised interactive maps released...
Hurricane Julia Hits Nicaragua Bringing Torrential Rainfall
Oct 10 2022 // MEXICO CITY (AP) – Hurricane Julia hit Nicaragua’s central Caribbean coast on Sunday after lashing Colombia’s San Andres island, and a weakened storm was expected to emerge over the Pacific. Julia hit as a...
Insured Damages From Hurricane Ian $31-$53B: CoreLogic
Oct 10 2022 // Property data and analytics provider CoreLogic included new and updated projections of storm surge and flood losses for Hurricane Ian for a final tally of between $41 billion and $70 billion in insured and uninsured flood...
Florida Citrus Industry Squeezed by Hurricane Ian; Crop Insurance to Cover Some Losses
Oct 7 2022 // The waters have receded, but the stink lingers. As Emma Reynolds Ezell surveys the damage that a night of 100 mile-per-hour winds wrought on her orange groves, she just can’t get over the stench. It’s nothing...
Nebraska Sandhills Wildfire More Than Half Contained
Oct 6 2022 // A destructive Nebraska Sandhills wildfire that saw one firefighter die while fighting the flames was more than half contained by Wednesday, officials said. The size of the Bovee Fire in west-central Nebraska was mapped...
Arizona Tornado Damaged Homes, Power Lost in Dust Storms
Oct 5 2022 // Up to 10 homes were damaged after a tornado touched down in northern Arizona Monday while around Phoenix, dust storms caused downed power lines, fires and cut power to thousands, authorities said. The National Weather...
Nebraska Wildfire Razes Camp, Prompts Evacuation
Oct 5 2022 // A wildfire that exploded in size in drought-stricken central Nebraska has destroyed much of a youth campsite and led officials to evacuate a nearby village. The Bovee Fire was initially reported as having burned around 100...
Viewpoint: Hurricane Ian, Anti-Concurrent Loss Language, and Ambiguities
Oct 4 2022 // On September 28, 2022, the nearly Category 5 Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida with maximum sustained winds clocked at approximately 150 MPH. Reports out of Lee County, Florida have been particularly...
Ex-PG&E Execs Paying $117M To Settle California Wildfires Lawsuit
Oct 3 2022 // Former executives and directors of Pacific Gas & Electric have agreed to pay $117 million to settle a lawsuit over devastating 2017 and 2018 California wildfires sparked by the utility’s equipment. The settlement...
Verisk: Up to $57B Insured Losses from Hurricane Ian
Oct 3 2022 // Insured losses from Hurricane Ian to onshore property will be between $42 billion and $57 billion, with much of the damage – $38-51 billion – coming from wind damage, according to Verisk. “Damage was more severe...
