Latest Earthquake Headlines
All the headlines from our Earthquake Topic Page, ordered by recency.
EQECAT Estimates Spain Quake Insured Losses at Maximum $100 Million
May 13 2011 // Catastrophe modeling firm EQECAT has released a “CatWatch update” on the market loss estimate for the May 11 earthquake near Lorca, Spain, which indicates that, based on the latest information available,...
Lloyd’s Estimates Losses from Q1 Disasters at $3.8 Billion
May 13 2011 // After careful calculation Lloyd’s has announced its estimated net claims before tax from the earthquakes this year in Japan and New Zealand and the January 2011 floods in Australia. The current net estimates were...
Earthquakes Hit Southern Spain; At Least 8 Dead
May 12 2011 // Two earthquakes, the first measured at magnitude 4.4, and the second a much stronger tremor measured at magnitude 5.2, struck Southern Spain near the city of Lorca late Wednesday afternoon at 6:47 PM, local time. At least...
Distant Earthquakes Can Affect San Andreas Fault
May 11 2011 // Researchers examining the San Andreas Fault in central California have found evidence that distant earthquakes can trigger episodes of accelerated — but still very slow — slip motion, deep on the fault. While a...
Risky Business: Insurance Industry Entering ‘New Era’ of Catastrophes
May 10 2011 // Given the recent flooding, hurricanes and earthquakes, it appears the number of catastrophic events that inflict mass casualties and severe economic losses has increased — so much so that Dr. Erwann Michel-Kerjan,...
AIG Reports $1.5B Net Income Loss in Q1
May 6 2011 // American International Group posted a loss from continuing operations in the first quarter as it recorded a charge of more than $3 billion related to its recapitalization and termination of its credit facility from the...
Nevada Insurance Department Publishes Earthquake Insurance Guide
May 3 2011 // The Nevada Department of Insurance has published a consumer guide to earthquake insurance to encourage residents to evaluate appropriate coverage for their homes and businesses. The state is one of the most active states...
Oregon Lawmakers Consider Governance in Disaster
May 2 2011 // Oregon’s Constitution requires that the state Legislature meet in Salem. So what would happen if disaster struck Oregon and lawmakers needed to urgently approve relief funds in a capital city they couldn’t...
Overcapacity in P/C Insurance Keeping Commercial Prices Down
May 2 2011 // Most commercial lines insurance prices continued their downward trend in the first quarter, as underwriters’ efforts to hold the line on premiums buckled under the pressure of a highly overcapitalized market. Three...
Japan Quake Reveals Cracks in Insurance System
May 2 2011 // Michael Korn, managing principal at Integro Insurance Brokers, is a popular person these days, which is perhaps not too surprising considering he is an insurance broker in earthquake-prone San Francisco. “We’re...
S&P: Japan’s Rating Outlook Now Negative on Quake Costs; Affirms Debt Ratings
Apr 27 2011 // Standard and Poor’s threatened to cut Japan’s sovereign credit rating again, warning the huge cost of last month’s devastating earthquake will hurt already weak public finances unless bickering...
Overcapacity in P/C Insurance Keeping Commercial Prices Down
Apr 26 2011 // Most commercial lines insurance prices continued their downward trend in the first quarter, as underwriters’ efforts to hold the line on premiums buckled under the pressure of a highly overcapitalized market. Three...
Munich Re Ups Dividend, Comments on Impact of 2011 Disasters
Apr 21 2011 // Munich Re’s annual general meeting (AGM) produced some good news for the shareholders of the world’s largest reinsurer. It announced a dividend increase to €6.25 [$9.138] per share for the financial year...
Tremblor Shakes SF on Anniversary of 1906 Quake
Apr 20 2011 // A small earthquake centered near San Francisco rattled the area hours after a ceremony was held to mark the anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed much of the city. The U.S. Geological Survey says the...
Catlin Estimates Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami Losses at $200 Million
Apr 20 2011 // The Bermuda-based Catlin Group Limited announced that its initial estimate of the financial impact of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated areas of northeast Japan, are expected to be around $200 million,...
Summary of Re/Insurers’ Loss Estimates from Japan’s Earthquake, Tsunami
Apr 19 2011 // Some of the world’s leading insurers and reinsurers have issued initial estimates of how much the earthquake that hit Japan on March 11 will cost them and more are expected do so over the next few weeks. Risk...
ABIR Reports 2010 Results for Bermuda’s Re/Insurers; $11.4 Bn Net Income
Apr 18 2011 // The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR) has released the 2010 global underwriting results for its 22 member (re)insurers – companies that write insurance and reinsurance from underwriting centers in...
Japan’s Tragedy a Reminder of Need for Business Interruption Insurance
Apr 18 2011 // The human, social and economic devastation in Japan from the massive earthquake and tsunami is overwhelming and business losses are just beginning to be tallied. Companies in the United States that purchase products or...
San Francisco 1906 Earthquake: What If It Happened Today?
Apr 14 2011 // Seismologists predict a major earthquake, similar in size to the 1906 quake, can hit the San Francisco area at any time. With inflation and exposure added, the total property loss if such an event occurred today could be...
Baldwin & Lyons Predicts $15.5M Loss from International Catastrophes
Apr 13 2011 // Indianapolis, Ind.-based property and casualty insurer Baldwin & Lyons Inc. announced that, based on preliminary information received from its ceding reinsurers, the estimated after tax loss associated with first...
