Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas Governor Issues Widespread Disaster Declaration Due to Wildfires
Aug 15 2023 // Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a wildfire disaster declaration for about 75% of Texas counties, allowing them to use all available state resources to respond to any new fires as the state continues to bake under triple-digit...
What Sparks US Wildfires: Power Lines, Burning Trash and Lightning
Aug 15 2023 // The fast-moving fire that ripped through Maui’s historic town of Lahaina killed more than 90 people, making it the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation,...
Typhoon Lan Grounds Flights, Halts Trains as It Crosses Japan
Aug 15 2023 // Typhoon Lan reached the coast of central Japan early Tuesday, grounding flights and halting trains as residents braced for heavy rain, flooding and landslides. Known locally as Typhoon No. 7, the storm has been traversing...
Estimate of Losses From Devastating Hawaii Wildfires Increases to $14B-$16B
Aug 14 2023 // AccuWeather increased its estimate of the total damage and economic loss from the devastating wildfires burning in Hawaii to $14 to $16 billion. The update follows AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate last week of...
Japan Faces Another Typhoon With Trains, Hundreds of Flights Canceled
Aug 14 2023 // Japan is preparing for its second typhoon in a week, with airline companies canceling flights and rail operators halting some operations. Typhoon Lan is forecast to make landfall Tuesday in central Japan near Osaka, the...
NOAA Increases Prediction for Atlantic Hurricane Season to “Above-Normal”
Aug 11 2023 // The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is increasing its prediction for the ongoing 2023 Atlantic hurricane season to “above-normal” activity. Warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures across...
AccuWeather: Damage and Economic Loss from Wildfires in Hawaii $8B to $10B
Aug 10 2023 // AccuWeather’s preliminarily estimate of the total damage and economic loss from the wildfires burning in Hawaii is from $8 billion to 10 billion. The worst of the fires hit the Island of Maui, with the Lahaina area...
Wind-Driven Hawaii Wildfire Destroying Maui Tourist Town
Aug 9 2023 // A wildfire erupted in Maui on Wednesday fueled by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, destroying homes and businesses in a tourist town and forcing some residents to jump into the ocean to escape the flames. The Associated...
Severe Convective Storms Top Insured Natural Disaster Losses in H1: Swiss Re
Aug 9 2023 // Global natural catastrophes cost insurers US$50 billion in the first half, (H1 2022: $48 billion), with most of the losses stemming from severe convective storms, according to Swiss Re. “Severe convective storms –...
Consumer Specialists Available to Assist Tornado-Impacted Missouri Residents
Aug 8 2023 // The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) said that consumer specialists will be on-site at the Multi-Agency Resource Center in Knox County, Missouri, to answer insurance questions and assist residents...
Insured Loss Estimate for Turkey Earthquake Rises to US$3.4 Billion: PERILS
Aug 8 2023 // The third loss estimate for the Kahramanmaras Earthquake Sequence, which hit large parts of south-central Turkey and neighboring Syria on Feb. 6, 2023, has risen to $3.4 billion, according to PERILS, the independent...
Pfizer Taking More Steps to Manage Inventory After NC Tornado Destroyed Warehouse
Aug 8 2023 // Pfizer Inc. said on Thursday it will begin making some products available only through its emergency ordering process, as part of steps to manage inventory at its North Carolina facility that was struck by a tornado last...
Compensation for New Mexico Wildfire Victims Tops $14M and is Climbing
Aug 7 2023 // More victims of a devastating wildfire sparked last year by the U.S. Forest Service in northern New Mexico are getting compensated, with payouts to landowners totaling more than $14 million as of early next week, federal...
Forecasters Stress Uncertainty in Latest Hurricane Forecast
Aug 4 2023 // Forecasters from Colorado State University (CSU) stressed uncertainty in their latest outlook on Thursday for the current Atlantic hurricane season, even as they held steady the number of storms expected. This year’s...
Europeans Lack Insurance Protection as Wildfires and Drought Batter the Region
Aug 3 2023 // Europeans are among the least insured against certain types of extreme weather and other natural disasters in the developed world, a predicament made more worrisome as the continent suffers a summer of devastating heat,...
Blazing a New Trail: Oregon Wildfire Regulatory Compliance
Aug 2 2023 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. Due to the ever-changing insurance market, property and casualty insurers across the country face multiple challenges today that can commonly disrupt their business...
Some Gains Made on 80K Acre Southern California Wildfire
Aug 1 2023 // Containment on an 80,000-plus-acre wildfire in Southern California grew to 23% on Tuesday, as firefighters made some progress against the state’s most massive ongoing blaze. It was listed as being at 0% containment a...
Wildfire Risk Climbs for Spain as Heat Wave Moves to Iberia
Jul 31 2023 // The focus of Europe’s heat is switching to Spain, with a high risk of wildfires in southern parts of the Iberian peninsula. Southern Spain is expected to exceed 40C (104F) on Monday, with regions around Cordoba under...
Global Natural Disasters Cost Insurers $43B in H1, Surpassing 10-Yr Average: Munich Re
Jul 28 2023 // Natural disasters during the first half of 2023 cost insurers an estimated US$43 billion with an overall economic price tag of $110 billion, according to Munich Re. These insured losses were slightly lower than the US$47...
Update: Typhoon Doksuri Roars Into China, Destroying Power Lines, Closing Factories
Jul 28 2023 // Typhoon Doksuri swept into southern China on Friday, unleashing heavy rain and violent gusts of wind that whipped power lines and sparked fires, uprooted trees, and ripped off part of a stadium roof. The typhoon is the...
