Latest Catastrophe Headlines
All the headlines from our Catastrophe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Wildfire Weather May Return to Northern California
Aug 9 2021 // Thick smoke that held down winds and temperatures began to clear Sunday from the scenic forestlands of Northern California as firefighters battling the largest single wildfire in state history braced for a return of...
Wildfires Rage Anew Near Athens, Forcing More Evacuations in Southern Greece
Aug 6 2021 // Wildfires rekindled outside Athens and forced more evacuations around southern Greece Thursday as weather conditions worsened and firefighters in a round-the-clock battle stopped the flames just outside the birthplace of...
Turkish Officials Accused of Using Only 2% of Forest Protection Budget Before Wildfires
Aug 6 2021 // Turkish authorities battling the country’s worst ever wildfires have been accused of failing to prepare for the threat after official data showed they spent only a fraction of the modest funds budgeted to prevent...
U.S. West Consumer Survey: 4-in-10 Policyholders Don’t Talk to Insurer About Wildfire Risks
Aug 5 2021 // Most residents of the wildfire-plagued Western U.S. believe in mitigation efforts, but fewer are actually taking such steps – while more than 40% have never spoken to their insurer about wildfire risk, according to a...
Wildfire Destroys Much of California Gold Rush Town
Aug 5 2021 // A wind-driven wildfire tore through a Northern California mountain town, leaving much of the downtown in ashes as crews braced for another explosive run of flames in the midst of dangerous weather. The Dixie Fire, swollen...
Forecasters Confirm Nine Tornadoes in Pennsylvania, New Jersey
Aug 5 2021 // The National Weather Service has confirmed a ninth tornado that struck during storms last week in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Forecasters said Sunday that an EF-1 tornado with peak winds up to 90 mph appeared in the...
Ratings Firm Moody’s to Acquire Catastrophe Modeler, Analytics Firm RMS for $2 Billion
Aug 5 2021 // Moody’s Corp. has agreed to acquire RMS, a global provider of climate and natural disaster risk modeling and analytics, for approximately $2.0 billion (1.425 billion pounds) from Britain’s Daily Mail and...
Two Louisiana Parishes May Be Eligible for Federal Aid From Tropical Storm Damage
Aug 5 2021 // Farmers in two south Louisiana parishes who lost property during extreme weather in April through June may be eligible for federal aid, Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said...
Atlantic Hurricane Forecast Still Calls for an Above-Average Season
Aug 4 2021 // Conditions remain in line for the current Atlantic hurricane season to be an above-average one, according to the mid-season update by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. NOAA says there is a 65% likelihood that the...
Michigan Counties Ask State for Funds After Tornado Damage
Aug 2 2021 // Two Michigan counties are asking the state to help make funds available for residents and businesses affected by recent tornados that damaged buildings, knocked down trees and caused power outages. Macomb County Executive...
4 Tornadoes Confirmed in Wisconsin
Aug 2 2021 // The National Weather Service has confirmed at least four tornadoes caused widespread damage in Wisconsin and contributed to at least one death. Quinn Boehning, 29, was killed after crashing into a fallen tree and power...
Eight Tornadoes Confirmed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania During Storms
Aug 2 2021 // The National Weather Service has confirmed eight tornadoes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey during Thursday’s storm, including the EF-3 storm in eastern Pennsylvania and an EF-2 tornado that started in the Keystone...
PG&E in California Will Pay to Bury Power Lines to Prevent Wildfires
Aug 2 2021 // California power company Pacific Gas and Electric said on it would bury 10,000 miles of power lines in high-risk fire zones as a safety measure after its equipment caused multiple destructive wildfires over several...
Alaska Quake Triggers Prolonged Shaking, Small Tsunami
Jul 30 2021 // A powerful earthquake which struck just off Alaska’s southern coast caused prolonged shaking and prompted tsunami warnings that sent people scrambling for shelters. Residents reported only minor damage, but officials...
FEMA OKs Funds to Help Fight Montana Wildfire
Jul 29 2021 // Federal funds are now available to help with firefighting costs for the Poverty Flats Fire burning in Big Horn County and Crow Agency in Montana, FEMA reported. FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Tammy Littrell approved...
California, Nevada Governors Tour Site of Massive Wildfire
Jul 28 2021 // The governors of California and Nevada called for more federal firefighting assistance Wednesday as they toured a region blackened by one of several massive wildfires that have destroyed dozens of homes in the West. Nevada...
University Study Poses Possible Future for Western Wildfires as a Decade-Long Burst, Followed by Gradual Decline
Jul 28 2021 // Newswise — In recent years, wildfires on the West Coast have become larger and more damaging. A combination of almost a century of fire suppression and hotter and drier conditions has created a tinderbox ready to ignite,...
Tornadoes Confirmed Near Flint, Detroit, Michigan
Jul 27 2021 // The National Weather Service says tornadoes struck near Detroit and near Flint on the evening of July 24. The two EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Genesee County’s Clayton Township around 6:30 p.m. and in Oakland...
Court Affirms Miami Condo Tower Hurricane Damage Award That Disappointed Both Sides
Jul 27 2021 // The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a jury verdict that found an insurer liable for $2.6 million in damages to a Miami condominium tower caused by Hurricane Irma, rejecting arguments made in appeals filed by parties...
Winds Feeding California’s Largest Wildfire
Jul 27 2021 // It could be days before officials will be able to assess the damage done to a small town by California’s largest wildfire, one of dozens of blazes scorching lands across the U.S. West. Over the weekend, the massive...
