Latest Flood Headlines
All the headlines from our Flood Topic Page, ordered by recency.
FEMA Hit by Multi-State Lawsuit Over Flood Insurance Rating Formula
Jun 2 2023 // A federal lawsuit claims FEMA failed to take into account skyrocketing flood insurance costs generated by its new rating system, Risk Rating 2.0. Ten states, along with 43 Louisiana parishes and more than a dozen levee...
Triple-Whammy of Cyclones, a 1-in-200-Year Event, Drove Italy’s Flooding: Scientists
Jun 1 2023 // A rare, triple-whammy of cyclones drove the deadly flooding that devastated much of northern Italy this month, but scientists said Wednesday that climate change doesn’t seem to be to blame for the intense...
New Zealand Offers to Buy Out Owners of Cyclone, Flood-Damaged Homes
Jun 1 2023 // New Zealand’s government will help to buy out the owners of cyclone and flood-damaged houses in areas deemed susceptible to severe weather events, beginning a process of managed retreat in the face of climate...
Housing Crisis Remains in East Kentucky Almost A Year After Flooding
May 26 2023 // Shirley Howard’s feet splashed into nearly a foot of water when she stepped out of bed on a summer morning last July amid a torrential rainfall. A devastating flood swallowing up Kentucky’s Appalachian region...
Utah Allocates Millions to Prepare for Flood Damage After Wet Winter
May 24 2023 // As the winter’s record snowpack melts and cascades down from the Rockies, Utah lawmakers set aside millions of dollars to prepare for potentially historic flooding. The state is among the many in the American West...
Italian Insurer Unipol and SpaceX Join Forces to Help People Hit by Flooding
May 23 2023 // Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Unipol Gruppo agreed to join forces to help people hit by flooding in northern Italy connect to the Internet, facilitating rescue operations, the Italian insurer said on Saturday. Torrential...
Fruit Harvest Faces Ruin After Floods Hit Italy’s Emilia-Romagna
May 22 2023 // Deadly floods in northern Italy will ravage fruit production in what is normally one of the country’s most bountiful agricultural regions, farm lobby Coldiretti said on Monday. Floods killed 14 people last week in...
As Lawyers Warned, Florida Courts Flooded with Suits Before Tort-Reform Bill Signed
May 22 2023 // Just as the plaintiffs’ law firm of Morgan & Morgan warned, the number of Florida lawsuits filed across the state has shattered previous records, topping 280,122 in April, the Florida Bar reported. That’s...
FEMA Releases New Flood Insurance Rates by ZIP Code. Brace for Impact.
May 22 2023 // When the Federal Emergency Management Agency unveiled its new Risk Rating 2.0 methodology for calculating flood insurance, advocates and critics alike warned that it would mean higher premiums for thousands of property...
New Zealand Pledges $720M for Cyclone and Flood Recovery
May 16 2023 // The New Zealand government said on Sunday it was allocating NZ$1.1 billion ($720 million) to help communities recover from a cyclone and floods that lashed the country this year. The funds from the 2023 budget are to cover...
Flood Requirements, Condo Inspection Rules Revised in Fla. Bills Sent to Governor
May 11 2023 // When a bill passed at a December special session of the Florida Legislature required all Citizens Property Insurance policyholders to buy flood insurance, many owners in high-rise condominiums were outraged. Already facing...
After Years of Delay, Federal Agencies Unveil Flood Plan for Mississippi Delta
May 8 2023 // Federal officials presented a proposal Thursday to further control flooding in the Mississippi Delta, a move that comes after months of work from government agencies and decades of delays amid disputes over potential...
Insured Losses for New Zealand North Island Floods Estimated at NZ$1.8B: PERILS
May 8 2023 // Insured losses for New Zealand’s North Island floods of Jan. 27 to Feb. 2 are estimated at NZ$1.75 billion ($1.1 billion), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide...
FEMA Releases New Flood Insurance Rates by ZIP Code. Brace for Impact.
May 8 2023 // When the Federal Emergency Management Agency unveiled its new Risk Rating 2.0 methodology for calculating flood insurance, advocates and critics alike warned that it would mean higher premiums for thousands of property...
Louisiana Parish Sues FEMA Over Flood Rate Information
May 2 2023 // A Louisiana parish is suing FEMA for withholding flood insurance rating methodology, alleging the agency has denied residents from viewing data used to set rates under the National Flood Insurance Program’s Risk...
Biden Declares Flooded Part of South Florida a Disaster Area
May 1 2023 // President Joe Biden declared Florida’s Broward County a disaster area Friday, two weeks after record-breaking rain left parts of Fort Lauderdale and its suburbs flooded. Gov. Ron DeSantis had requested the...
Mississippi River Flooding Prompts Evacuations, Sandbagging in Iowa
Apr 28 2023 // DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Some residents along the swelling Upper Mississippi River evacuated their homes this week while others scrambled Wednesday to stack sandbags in preparation for what forecasters say could be...
Insured Losses for Southeast Australia Floods of October 2022 Rise to A$907M: PERILS
Apr 28 2023 // Insured losses for floods that hit Southeast Australia in October 2022 have risen to A$907 million (US$600.2 million), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe...
California Community Braces for Floods as Epic Snow Melts
Apr 27 2023 // Ron Caetano is packed and ready to go. His family photos and valuables are in the trailer and he’s put food in carry totes. He moved the rabbits and chickens and their automatic feeders to higher ground. He and his...
Evacuations Ordered After Flooding in Small Arizona Town
Apr 24 2023 // Navajo Nation officials ordered evacuations for some residents of Chinle after floodwaters filled washes and overflowed berms and dirt dams. They said many residents are refusing to leave, however, because they want to...
