Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Forecast Calls for High Risk of Wildfires in Central Oregon
May 10 2022 // As summer approaches forecasters say Central Oregon has the highest fire risk of anywhere in the state. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the latest fire season outlook, released this week by the National Interagency Fire...
Crews in New Mexico, Arizona Work to Corral Wildfires
May 10 2022 // Firefighters in northern New Mexico worked in rugged terrain ahead of a massive wildfire, feverishly trying to position crews to clear brush and stop the monster blaze from burning more homes in the Rocky Mountain...
UK’s Terrorism Reinsurer Pool Re to Reduce Reinsurance Pricing for Insurers
May 10 2022 // Pool Re, Britain’s leading terrorism reinsurer, announced the most significant reduction in its reinsurance pricing in 20 years. The reduction, which will come into effect in October 2022, will vary according to...
Artificial Intelligence Being Used to Battle Western Wildfires
May 9 2022 // With wildfires becoming bigger and more destructive as the West dries out and heats up, agencies and officials tasked with preventing and battling the blazes could soon have a new tool to add to their arsenal of prescribed...
New Mexico Residents Brace for Extreme Wildfire Conditions
May 9 2022 // With the worst of the thick wildfire smoke having blown out of town, residents of this small northern New Mexico city tried to recapture a sense of normalcy Saturday as their rural neighbors hunkered down amid predictions...
Tornadoes Hit Texas, Oklahoma; More Storms in Forecast
May 6 2022 // A springtime storm system spawned several tornadoes that whipped through areas of Texas and Oklahoma, causing damage to a school, a marijuana farm and other structures. There were no reports of serious injuries following...
With Inadequate Natural Catastrophe Prices, Swiss Re Gives Florida a Wide Berth
May 6 2022 // Premium rates for natural catastrophe risks in Florida continue to be inadequate, which is why Swiss Re is giving that market a wide berth — for the time being, at least. “Historically we believe the Florida...
Woman Whose Son Was Killed in Illinois Tornado Criticizes Amazon
May 5 2022 // The mother of a man who was killed in December when a tornado slammed into an Amazon facility in Illinois said on Tuesday that her son was only in the building because he was called into work on his day off. “It...
Disaster Declared in New Mexico Wildfire Zone
May 5 2022 // Firefighters slowed the advance of the largest wildfire in the U.S. as heavy winds relented Wednesday, while President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration that brings new financial resources to remote stretches of...
Insurance Technology: InsuredMine Integrates With HawkSoft; Betterview Adds RedZone’s Wildfire Data; CyberCube to Create Cyber Tool for Majesco
May 4 2022 // InsuredMine and HawkSoft Integrate Agency Sales and Management Insurance agency sales automation software firm InsuredMine and agency management technology firm HawkSoft have released two-way API integration between their...
Social Media Valuable Tool for Forecasters, Residents in Path of Tornadoes
May 4 2022 // In the 11 years since a devastating tornado outbreak struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama, social media has evolved into a lifesaving tool during periods of severe weather, said Richard Scott, the chief meteorologist for...
Report Forecasts ‘Above-Normal’ U.S. Wildfire Season, Worse in Drought-Plagued West
May 4 2022 // The U.S. has in store an “above-normal” wildfire season if a prediction out on Wednesday from fire weather experts holds true – “intense” may be a better word for the expectations in Western...
2 Tornados Spotted in NE Illinois; Minimal Damage Reported
May 3 2022 // At least two twisters reportedly touched down briefly as part of a storm system that rolled across northeastern Illinois. One EF-0 tornado snapped tree branches and uprooted some trees as it traveled about two miles (3.2...
Kansas Tornado Generated 165 MPH Winds; Over 1,000 Buildings Damaged
May 2 2022 // The tornado that damaged more than more than 1,000 buildings in south-central Kansas generated winds up to 165 mph and carved a path of destruction nearly 13 miles long. The National Weather Service said the tornado that...
Electric Utilities in Pacific Northwest Spending Millions to Lower Wildfire Risk
May 2 2022 // Private electric utilities in the Pacific Northwest are planning tens of millions of dollars in upgrades to reduce the risk that their power lines could spark wildfires during extreme weather. Utilities such as Pacific...
Tornado Rips Through Kansas; 3 Meteorology Students Killed in Crash
May 2 2022 // A tornado that barreled through parts of Kansas destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and buildings, injured several people and left more than 15,000 people without power, officials said Saturday. In addition to wreckage...
Historic Black Town in Carolina One Hurricane Away from Disaster
May 2 2022 // As she exits her hometown’s only restaurant clutching an order of cabbage and hush puppies, Carolyn Suggs Bandy pauses to boast about a place that stakes its claim as the oldest town chartered by Black Americans...
Progress Made in Containing Nebraska Wildfire
Apr 29 2022 // Progress has been made toward fully containing a deadly southwestern Nebraska wildfire that has been burning since last week, officials said. Crews had 88% of the Road 702 Fire contained behind fire breaks by Thursday...
North Carolina AG Sues Contractor for Deceptive AOB Work after Hurricane
Apr 29 2022 // North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has filed suit against an Illinois contractor who came to the state after Hurricane Florence in 2018, convincing homeowners to assign insurance benefits to his companies. Dennis...
Amazon Urged to Review Emergency Plans in Wake of Deadly Tornado
Apr 28 2022 // Amazon.com Inc. should better prepare workers for extreme weather events, according to federal regulators who investigated a deadly tornado strike on a company warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois. The storm ripped through...
