Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Update: Greece Fights Almost 200 Wildfires as Wind Raises Risk in Mediterranean
Jul 27 2023 // Greece is fighting almost 200 wildfires as strengthening winds put a sting in the tail of the Mediterranean’s fading heat wave. More villages in mainland Greece were evacuated on Thursday as blazes threatened, while...
Typhoon-Prone Philippines Seeks New Insurance After Lapse of Catastrophe Bond
Jul 27 2023 // The Philippines, recovering from damage wrought by Typhoon Doksuri, is seeking a new insurance plan as protection against future calamities after its catastrophe bond lapsed. “We no longer have a cat bond,”...
Homeowners Affected by Hurricanes Urged to Complete Restore Louisiana Survey by August 1
Jul 26 2023 // Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Office of Community Development announced that homeowners impacted by Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Ida and the May 2021 severe storms have until August 1 to complete the Restore...
Mississippi Governor Asks for Federal Assistance After Tornado Damage
Jul 26 2023 // Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has requested financial assistance from the federal government for 16 counties hit by tornadoes and damaging storms that hammered the state over a five-day period in June, he announced...
Markets/Coverages: New Lloyd’s Syndicate Provides E&S Cover for Calif. Wildfire Risks
Jul 26 2023 // Wildfire Defense Systems Inc., Polo Managing Agency Ltd. (PMA) and Aon, announced Lloyd’s has approved the launch of Wildfire Defense Syndicate 1996, which started underwriting on July 1, 2023. Created under...
Small Earthquake Confirmed in Arizona Town
Jul 25 2023 // A 3.8 magnitude earthquake shook a northern Arizona town Sunday afternoon but there was no immediate word on any injuries or damage, the United States Geological Survey confirmed. The USGS said the small quake struck near...
Super Typhoon Doksuri Hits Philippines, Heads to China, Taiwan
Jul 25 2023 // Philippine authorities on Tuesday evacuated hundreds of people in coastal communities as super typhoon Doksuri intensified in strength, pummeling the north with strong winds and heavy rains before it heads toward Taiwan...
Greece Wildfires Raise Questions for Tourists About Their Travel Insurance Cover
Jul 25 2023 // Wildfires and evacuations on the Greek island of Rhodes, and a heat wave blasting much of southern Europe, have raised questions for tourists about their travel insurance coverage. As the threat of fires remains high...
Wildfires Rage Across Greece With Record Heat Forecast for Italy
Jul 24 2023 // Wildfires are raging across Greece after about 19,000 people were evacuated from the island of Rhodes over the weekend, while record temperatures are forecast for Sardinia. Over the past 24 hours, 162 fires have been...
Typhoon Doksuri Gains Power as It Threatens Philippines, Taiwan
Jul 24 2023 // Doksuri has strengthened further and may intensify into a super typhoon before a possible landfall in northern Philippines en route to Taiwan. The typhoon is moving westward “slowly” with maximum winds of 150...
Louisiana Commissioner Directs Insurers to Talk to Policyholders as Hurricane Ida Claims Deadline Looms
Jul 21 2023 // A day after the Louisiana Supreme Court announced that it is lifting a stay on hurricane-damage lawsuits filed by McClenny Moseley & Associates, state Insurance Commissioner James Donelon on Thursday issued a directive...
Tropical Storm Calvin Passed Over Hawaii, Leaving Minor Flooding in Its Wake
Jul 21 2023 // Tropical Storm Calvin brought high surf, heavy rain and gusts to parts of Hawaii`s Big Island on Wednesday, only inflicting minor damage. By late morning, the storm had passed to the west and the National Weather Service...
Coastal Construction, Rising Replacement Values Contribute to Costly Hurricane Claims
Jul 21 2023 // Insured losses from hurricanes have risen steadily over just the past 15 years, with nine of the 10 costliest hurricanes in U.S. history occurring since 2005, according to the Insurance Information Institute...
Mayfield, Kentucky, Hit by Floods 18 Months After Devastating Tornado
Jul 20 2023 // Parts of Kentucky cannot seem to catch a break from extreme weather events. Some 18 months after a powerful tornado ripped up much of downtown Mayfield, in southwestern Kentucky, heavily damaging businesses, homes,...
Tornado Rips Apart Pfizer Plant, Injures 16 in North Carolina
Jul 20 2023 // Drugmaker Pfizer Inc. said on Wednesday its plant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, which is one of the largest sterile injectable product facilities in the world, has suffered heavy damage from a tornado. A company...
Hurricanes Getting Costlier and Wetter, Triple I Report Finds
Jul 20 2023 // U.S. population growth in hurricane-prone states, coupled with the increasingly heavy rainfall which accompany these storms, has generated costlier insurance claim payouts for wind and flood-caused property damage,...
Containment of Massive Southern California Wildfire Grows
Jul 19 2023 // Fire crews built containment lines and patrolled for hot spots throughout the day on Wednesday to continue to keep a massive Southern California wildfire from growing. Containment on the Rabbit Fire grew to 55% with...
Alaska Volcano Eruption Eases After Massive Ash Cloud
Jul 19 2023 // An ongoing eruption of a remote volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands produced an ash cloud so large this week that warnings were sent to pilots about potentially dangerous conditions. An ash cloud with an initial...
Utility Investors Wary of Exposures After Buffet’s PacifiCorp Held Liable for Wildfires
Jul 19 2023 // Destructive wildfires are now an almost routine part of summer in the American West, and electrical utilities have likewise become used to having their power lines and equipment blamed for igniting the blazes. But a jury...
Firefighters Make Gains on Southern California Wildfire
Jul 17 2023 // Firefighters gained ground Monday against a large wildfire and three smaller blazes in the torrid interior of Southern California. The Rabbit Fire grew slightly overnight to more than 12 square miles but containment jumped...
