Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Atlantic Hurricane Forecast Still Calls for an Above-Average Season
Aug 4 2021 // Conditions remain in line for the current Atlantic hurricane season to be an above-average one, according to the mid-season update by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. NOAA says there is a 65% likelihood that the...
Michigan Counties Ask State for Funds After Tornado Damage
Aug 2 2021 // Two Michigan counties are asking the state to help make funds available for residents and businesses affected by recent tornados that damaged buildings, knocked down trees and caused power outages. Macomb County Executive...
4 Tornadoes Confirmed in Wisconsin
Aug 2 2021 // The National Weather Service has confirmed at least four tornadoes caused widespread damage in Wisconsin and contributed to at least one death. Quinn Boehning, 29, was killed after crashing into a fallen tree and power...
Eight Tornadoes Confirmed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania During Storms
Aug 2 2021 // The National Weather Service has confirmed eight tornadoes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey during Thursday’s storm, including the EF-3 storm in eastern Pennsylvania and an EF-2 tornado that started in the Keystone...
First Half 2021 Natural Disaster Insured Losses Reach 10-Year High
Aug 2 2021 // Insured losses from natural disasters hit a 10-year high of $42 billion in the first half of 2021, with the biggest loss related to extreme cold in the United States in February, insurance broker Aon said on July...
PG&E in California Will Pay to Bury Power Lines to Prevent Wildfires
Aug 2 2021 // California power company Pacific Gas and Electric said on it would bury 10,000 miles of power lines in high-risk fire zones as a safety measure after its equipment caused multiple destructive wildfires over several...
Alaska Quake Triggers Prolonged Shaking, Small Tsunami
Jul 30 2021 // A powerful earthquake which struck just off Alaska’s southern coast caused prolonged shaking and prompted tsunami warnings that sent people scrambling for shelters. Residents reported only minor damage, but officials...
FEMA OKs Funds to Help Fight Montana Wildfire
Jul 29 2021 // Federal funds are now available to help with firefighting costs for the Poverty Flats Fire burning in Big Horn County and Crow Agency in Montana, FEMA reported. FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Tammy Littrell approved...
China Regulator Urges Insurers to Expand Natural Disaster Coverage
Jul 29 2021 // BEIJING – China’s banking and insurance regulator said on Thursday that it will guide insurers to increase investment in natural disaster insurance and enrich product offerings. It also plans to raise public...
California, Nevada Governors Tour Site of Massive Wildfire
Jul 28 2021 // The governors of California and Nevada called for more federal firefighting assistance Wednesday as they toured a region blackened by one of several massive wildfires that have destroyed dozens of homes in the West. Nevada...
University Study Poses Possible Future for Western Wildfires as a Decade-Long Burst, Followed by Gradual Decline
Jul 28 2021 // Newswise — In recent years, wildfires on the West Coast have become larger and more damaging. A combination of almost a century of fire suppression and hotter and drier conditions has created a tinderbox ready to ignite,...
Tornadoes Confirmed Near Flint, Detroit, Michigan
Jul 27 2021 // The National Weather Service says tornadoes struck near Detroit and near Flint on the evening of July 24. The two EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Genesee County’s Clayton Township around 6:30 p.m. and in Oakland...
Court Affirms Miami Condo Tower Hurricane Damage Award That Disappointed Both Sides
Jul 27 2021 // The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a jury verdict that found an insurer liable for $2.6 million in damages to a Miami condominium tower caused by Hurricane Irma, rejecting arguments made in appeals filed by parties...
Winds Feeding California’s Largest Wildfire
Jul 27 2021 // It could be days before officials will be able to assess the damage done to a small town by California’s largest wildfire, one of dozens of blazes scorching lands across the U.S. West. Over the weekend, the massive...
Viewpoint: Is California Serious About Addressing the Wildfire Risk? Not So Much.
Jul 27 2021 // Recent state budget actions by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature make a strong argument that the state is not serious about addressing the state’s immense wildfire risk. Unquestionably,...
Firefighters Injured While Fighting Montana Wildfire
Jul 26 2021 // Five firefighters were injured when a thunderstorm and swirling winds in central Montana blew a lightning-caused wildfire back on them, federal officials said. All five remained in medical facilities and were still being...
California’s Largest Wildfire Torches Homes as Blazes Lash West
Jul 26 2021 // Flames racing through rugged terrain in Northern California destroyed multiple homes over the weeked as the state’s largest wildfire intensified and numerous other blazes battered the U.S. West. The Dixie fire, which...
Global Supply Chains Driven to Breaking Point on New COVID Wave, Natural Disasters
Jul 26 2021 // LONDON/BEIJING – A new worldwide wave of COVID-19. Natural disasters in China and Germany. A cyber attack targeting key South African ports. Events have conspired to drive global supply chains towards breaking point,...
Update: China’s Financial Hub of Shanghai at Virtual Standstill as Typhoon Makes Landfall
Jul 26 2021 // Typhoon In-Fa, the powerful storm battering regions around Shanghai, has forced some of the world’s biggest shipping ports to halt operations until at least Tuesday. All of Shanghai’s ports and some in...
5% Rate Increase Recommended for Texas Windstorm Insurer
Jul 22 2021 // The Actuarial & Underwriting Committee for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) has recommended that the association’s board vote at its Aug. 3 meeting to file for a 5% rate increase for residential...
