Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Alaska Experiencing Wildfires It’s Never Seen Before
Jul 26 2022 // Alaska is burning this year in ways rarely or ever seen, from the largest wildfire in a typically mainly fireproof southwest region to a pair of blazes that ripped through forests and produced smoke that blew hundreds of...
Record Temperatures, Wildfires Wreak Havoc on Europe’s Wineries and Vineyards
Jul 26 2022 // In Portugal’s Douro Valley on July 7, a wildfire burned close to Oscar Quevedo’s Quinta da Alegria vineyard. By the middle of the night, flames surrounded it. The vines around the edges, amounting to about a...
Crews Protect Homes as California Wildfire Burns Near Yosemite
Jul 25 2022 // A destructive wildfire near Yosemite National Park burned out of control through tinder-dry forest on Sunday and had grown into one of California’s biggest blazes of the year, forcing thousands of residents to flee...
Four Years After Hurricane Michael, Florida City Rebuilding, Recovering
Jul 25 2022 // MEXICO BEACH, Fla. — Standing on the deck of the new Driftwood Inn, 31/2 years after Hurricane Michael obliterated the old one, Tom Wood spoke of the months after the storm. One of his daughters had urged him and his...
Illinois Tornado Snaps Trees, Damages Roofs
Jul 25 2022 // The National Weather Service has confirmed that a small tornado touched down in suburban Chicago Saturday. Snapped trees and minor damage to roofs in Naperville were reported Saturday, meteorologist Todd Kluber said. The...
Europe Wildfire Damage Jumps 75%; Models Need More Development: Chaucer
Jul 22 2022 // Damage from large wildfires in Europe has jumped dramatically, with a 75% increase in the amount of land burned in the latest year, according to analysis by Chaucer, the specialty re/insurer, which warns that modeling for...
Wildfire Burning in Southwest South Dakota 40% Contained
Jul 22 2022 // A wildfire that started earlier this week west of Oglala, South Dakota has burned about 11 square miles and is 40% contained, according to officials. The fire began near Prairie Wind Casino on Tuesday evening and moved...
Evacuation Order for Alaska Wildfire Lifted Near Anderson
Jul 22 2022 // An evacuation order for about 65 residents of a subdivision near the community of Anderson has been lifted, Denali Borough Mayor Clay Walker said. The evacuation order went into place June 28 because of the Clear wildfire...
How Climate Change Drives Heatwaves and Wildfires
Jul 21 2022 // Brutal heatwaves are gripping both Europe and the United States this week and are forecast to dump searing heat on much of China into late August. In addition to temperatures spiking above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit),...
Wildfire Burns Homes Around North Texas Lake
Jul 20 2022 // A wildfire has burned several homes and prompted calls for voluntary evacuations around a lake in north Texas amid sweltering temperatures and dry conditions, authorities said. The fire at Possum Kingdom Lake about 95...
Update: Climate Change Alarm Sounded as Wildfires Rage Across Europe
Jul 20 2022 // Emergency services battled wildfires across swathes of southern Europe amid mass evacuations on Wednesday, as warnings sounded in London after Britain’s hottest day that the fight against climate change needed to be...
Actuarial Committee Recommends No Change in Texas Windstorm Insurance Rates
Jul 19 2022 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association’s Actuarial & Underwriting Committee recommended to the board of directors that there should be no change in residential or commercial insurance rates. The Actuarial...
Record Heatwave Scorches Europe, as Wildfires Continue to Rage in France, Spain
Jul 19 2022 // Britain was forecast to see temperatures hit 40C (104F) for the first time on Tuesday after logging its warmest night on record, while wildfires raged across parched countryside in France, Spain and elsewhere. As a...
Wildfire Threat Becomes Tool to Fight California Home Builders
Jul 18 2022 // Preston Brown knows the risk of wildfire that comes with living in the rural, chaparral-lined hills of San Diego County. He’s lived there for 21 years and evacuated twice. That’s why he fiercely opposed a plan...
Europe Battles Wildfires in Intense Heat That Scientists Blame on Climate Change
Jul 18 2022 // JERTE, Spain – Authorities across southern Europe battled on Sunday to control huge wildfires in countries including Spain, Greece and France, with hundreds of deaths blamed on soaring temperatures that scientists say...
Report: Quake-Triggered Tsunami Would Hit Seattle In Minutes
Jul 18 2022 // A new study from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources shows a tsunami triggered by a major earthquake beneath Puget Sound would arrive at Seattle shores sooner and reach farther inland than previously...
Yosemite Wildfire Moving Eastward Toward Sierra National Forest
Jul 15 2022 // A wildfire that threatened a grove of California’s giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park was burning eastward into the Sierra National Forest on Wednesday. The Washburn Fire is one of dozens of blazes chewing...
Atlantic Hurricane Season May Get Boost From Lingering La Nina
Jul 14 2022 // La Nina will probably stick around for at least several more months, potentially leading to more hurricanes and tropical storms across the Atlantic during the heart of the season. There’s now a 62% chance of cool...
California Firefighters Making Gains in Yosemite Wildfire
Jul 12 2022 // California firefighters were gaining ground in the battle against a wildfire that poses a threat to a grove of giant sequoias and a small community in Yosemite National Park. The Washburn Fire on the western flank of the...
California Insurance Commissioner Issues Year Moratorium on Cancellations, Non-Renewals Following Wildfires
Jul 12 2022 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara ordered insurance companies to preserve residential insurance coverage for more than 85,000 policyholders affected by fires in Santa Barbara County and Monterey County after...
