Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Louisiana Dept. of Insurance to Hold Tornado Resource Center
Mar 29 2022 // The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) announced it has established an open-door insurance resource center in Arabi to assist those affected by the tornado that struck the area last week. Meetings will be held at...
Residents Return Home After Fleeing Colorado Wildfire
Mar 29 2022 // Nearly 20,000 people who were forced to flee a wildfire in northern Colorado were back home Monday after firefighters were able to stop the spread of the fire at 190 acres. The fire that broke out Saturday in the rolling...
Alabama Wildfire Chars 600 Acres; No Injuries Reported
Mar 29 2022 // A wildfire that began over the weekend has consumed more than 600 acres of woods southeast of Birmingham, threatening homes but not causing any reported injuries. Fire officials say smoke and smoldering debris will...
South Texas Wildfire Destroys 3 Homes; Blaze Only 10% Contained
Mar 29 2022 // A wildfire has burned more an 1,000 acres in South Texas forcing some people to evacuate, destroying three homes and knocking out power to more than 100 others, officials said on March 27. Gov. Greg Abbott declared a...
Officials: Tornado Was New Orleans Area’s 2nd Strongest Ever
Mar 28 2022 // A tornado that killed a man near New Orleans this week was the metro area’s second strongest on record and left an 11.5-mile track northeast through three parishes, the National Weather Service said last week. Its...
Firefighters Increase Containment on Colorado Wildfire
Mar 28 2022 // A wildfire south of Boulder that forced nearly 20,000 people to flee was listed at 35% contained by Sunday afternoon and most evacuations had been lifted, officials with Boulder Fire-Rescue said. The fire, which ignited...
Louisiana Recovering After Tornadoes Plow Through Homes
Mar 24 2022 // Louisiana National Guardsmen and other responders went door-to-door in areas around New Orleans on March 23 as the region dug out from overnight tornadoes, with Gov. John Bel Edwards declaring a state of emergency and...
Tornadoes Cause Limited Damage in Alabama, Mississippi
Mar 24 2022 // The same severe weather front that destroyed property in Texas and Louisiana also spawned at least six tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama, but damage appeared to limited. In Baldwin County, in south Alabama, emergency...
Japan’s Powerful Earthquake Estimated to Cost Insurers $2 Billion-$4 Billion: Verisk
Mar 24 2022 // The powerful earthquake that jolted Japan’s northeast coast last week is expected to cause insured property losses between $2 billion and $4 billion, modeling firm Verisk said on Thursday. About $400 million to $820...
Tornado Strikes New Orleans as Storms Move Into Deep South
Mar 24 2022 // A tornado tore through parts of New Orleans and its suburbs Tuesday night, ripping down power lines and scattering debris in a part of the city that had been heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina 17 years ago. There were no...
Crews Make Progress in Containing Texas Wildfire
Mar 23 2022 // Firefighting crews were making progress containing a massive Texas wildfire that was blamed for last week’s death of a deputy, officials said. The Eastland Complex has burned about 85 square miles (220 square...
New Orleans Tornado Leaves 1 Dead, Causes Damage to Lower Ninth Ward
Mar 23 2022 // A tornado reached east New Orleans Tuesday evening, leaving at least one person dead and causing significant damage to the Lower Ninth Ward. St. Bernard Parish Sheriff James Pohlmann confirmed that at least one person was...
Update: Japan Warns of Blackouts After Earthquake Causes Major Power Shortage
Mar 22 2022 // Japanese turned off neon signs, dimmed their lights and dialed down thermostats on Tuesday after the government issued an urgent call to save energy to avoid blackouts after an earthquake last week caused a serious power...
Multiple Tornados Hit Texas; Severe Storm Warning Still in Effect For South Central Region
Mar 22 2022 // Multiple tornadoes were reported in central Texas Monday March 21, causing “devastating” property damage according to Gov. Greg Abbott. A tornado touched ground in Red Rock, about 30 miles southeast of Austin,...
Norway’s Equinor Shuts Oil Platform as Precaution After Earthquake in North Sea
Mar 21 2022 // Norway’s Equinor has shut its Snorre B oil platform as a precautionary measure following an earthquake in the North Sea, although no damage has been reported so far, the company said on Monday. It was not yet clear...
Experts Warn Central U.S. Needs to be Ready For Next Earthquake
Mar 21 2022 // Experts have warned for decades that a large swath of the central U.S. is at high risk for a devastating earthquake. They know that overcoming complacency is among their biggest hurdles. Hundreds of emergency managers,...
Actuaries: Climate Change, WUI Building Led to Worsening Wildfires in U.S. and California
Mar 17 2022 // Increasingly large and dangerous wildfires are being driven by the effects of climate change and more building in the wildland-urban interface, and while that notion may not be entirely new, the scope of the increase laid...
Update: Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Hits Near Japan’s Fukushima
Mar 16 2022 // A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck northern Japan near Fukushima prefecture late on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring dozens, as well as disrupting power and some factories. About 2,000 buildings were still without...
Chemical Analysis Shows Effects of Wildfire Smoke on Grapes and Wines in Western U.S.
Mar 16 2022 // NEWSWISE – As wildfire season in the West grows in length and severity, it is taking a toll on the wine industry through the effects of wildfire smoke on the quality of wine grapes. Volatile compounds in the smoke from...
M5.1 Earthquake Confirmed in South-Central Alaska
Mar 14 2022 // A moderate earthquake has been recorded in Alaska, the Alaska Earthquake Center confirmed. The Saturday morning quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 and was felt throughout the south-central part of the state,...
