Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Attorney General Challenges Housing Plans in Wildfire Areas
Mar 19 2021 // California’s attorney general is challenging some of the state’s largest suburban development projects as local officials weigh the risk of increasingly devastating wildfires against the state’s dire need...
Severe Storms Across Southeast Bring Tornadoes, NWS Warns of More Outbreaks
Mar 18 2021 // The U.S. National Weather Service said a regional outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes was possible on Thursday from parts of east-central Georgia and north-eastward across South Carolina and North...
Bill to Create Fund to Battle Washington Wildfires Moving Through Legislature
Mar 17 2021 // A bill to create a dedicated fund to prevent and fight wildfires in Washington easily passed the state House of Representatives and will be sent to the state Senate. The bill, promoted by Commissioner of Public Lands...
Cluster of Earthquakes Rattles South-Central Kansas
Mar 16 2021 // A cluster of earthquakes with epicenters in east Wichita have rattled south-central Kansas over two days, the strongest one about a magnitude 3.9. The Kansas Geological Survey reported on its website five quakes Sunday and...
Homes Damaged by Kansas Tornado
Mar 16 2021 // Severe thunderstorms rolled through the Kansas City area on March 15, spawning at least one brief tornado touchdown that damaged homes and downed fences and tree limbs. The National Weather Service said on Twitter that law...
Earthquake Early Warning System Launches in Oregon
Mar 16 2021 // People in Oregon will be better prepared for earthquakes – particularly important in the Pacific Northwest because experts say “the big one” is coming – as an early warning system launched Thursday, the...
Tornadoes in Texas Panhandle, No Injuries Reported
Mar 15 2021 // Several suspected tornadoes touched down Saturday afternoon in the Texas Panhandle between Lubbock and Amarillo, according to the National Weather Service, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. Two possible...
Oregon Lawsuits Seek $1B From Pacific Power over Wildfires
Mar 12 2021 // Two new lawsuits filed in Marion County, Ore., seek more than $1 billion in damages from Pacific Power, claiming the utility’s negligence led to wildfires in the Santiam Canyon last year. The two lawsuits filed...
More Than 2,300 Acres Burned by 24 Wildfires in Alabama
Mar 10 2021 // Wildfires have burned more than 2,300 acres of land across Alabama in recent days, forestry officials said Monday as firefighters battled two dozen blazes statewide. Fire charred 560 acres in St. Clair County, and two...
Mosaic Begins Underwriting War, Terrorism & Political Violence Risks Globally
Mar 9 2021 // Mosaic, the new Bermuda-based global specialty insurer, announced it has begun underwriting war, terrorism and political violence risks globally out of offices in London and New York. Mosaic will offer tailored coverage...
Sinkholes Emerge After Croatia’s Deadly Earthquake in December
Mar 8 2021 // MECENCANI, Croatia – After the deadly earthquake came the sinkholes. A central Croatian region about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of the capital, Zagreb, is pocked with round holes of all sizes, which appeared...
Earthquake Warning System Rolling Out in Oregon, Washington
Mar 8 2021 // The earthquake early warning system known as ShakeAlert will be capable of delivering alerts directly to wireless devices in Oregon on March 11 and to Washington state in May, completing the West Coast rollout, the U.S....
California Commissioner Wants Rate Transparency Rules for Wildfire Risk
Mar 8 2021 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has proposed new rules to give homeowners and businesses open access to their properties’ wildfire risk scores. The new rules would require insurance companies to...
FEMA: 87% of Federal Flood Claims from Hurricane Laura Closed in Louisiana
Mar 5 2021 // The majority of National Flood Insurance Program claims in Louisiana stemming from Hurricane Laura, which hit the state in August 2020, have been closed. FEMA says the NFIP has closed 87% of the 1,227 claims submitted and...
Oregon Hotel Fined for Overcharging People During Wildfire
Mar 1 2021 // A hotel in Roseburg, Oregon, has been fined $31,000 for overcharging dozens of area residents who sought rooms after fleeing a large wildfire in September. The News-Review reports SUBH Investment LLC, which does business...
Fire Victim Trust Sues California Utility Executives for Causing Wildfires
Feb 24 2021 // The Fire Victim Trust has filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court against certain former officers and directors of PG&E Corp. and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. for their role in causing the catastrophic 2017...
California Commissioner Wants Rate Transparency Rules for Wildfire Risk
Feb 23 2021 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has proposed new rules to give homeowners and businesses open access to their properties’ wildfire risk scores. The new rules would require insurance companies to...
California Surplus Lines Weathered Pandemic, Wildfires, Civil Unrest
Feb 22 2021 // In a year marred by a pandemic, massive Western U.S. wildfires, civil unrest, and a contentious election, California’s surplus lines market “didn’t miss a beat.” That was the message from Ben McKay,...
Over $115M in Federal Flood Claims Paid in Louisiana After 2020 Hurricanes
Feb 22 2021 // As of Feb. 1, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) had paid out more than $115 million in flood claims in Louisiana in response to the 2020 hurricane season. That figure is up from the $110 million in NFIP payments...
Officials: ‘Freak Storm’ Caused Deadly North Carolina Tornado
Feb 19 2021 // North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that the state must learn from the surprise tornado that struck Ocean Isle Beach with little or no warning, leaving three people dead and 10 injured. The governor surveyed the...
