Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma Legislation Would Require Tornado Safety Information in Hotels
Feb 18 2021 // Under legislation passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives, new or renovated hotels and motels would be required to tornado safety information in every room and common areas. Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader,...
Several Homes Damaged by Tornado in Georgia
Feb 18 2021 // The National Weather Service confirmed Tuesday that a tornado struck an area of southwest Georgia where one home was destroyed and several others got damaged. The weather service’s office in Tallahassee, Florida,...
EF3 Tornado Rips Across North Carolina Community, Levels Homes, Kills 3
Feb 18 2021 // It was late Monday night when the power went out at Jesse Clemmons’ home in coastal North Carolina. He went outside to start up the generator and heard a loud roar approaching from the woods. “By that time, I...
Earthquake Warning System Rolling Out in Oregon, Washington
Feb 18 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....
Storm System Spawns Tornado in Florida, Several Homes Damaged
Feb 16 2021 // A tornado in Florida’s Tampa Bay region peeled off rooftops, snapped trees and roused residents from bed early Sunday morning. The National Weather Service said there were no serious injuries reported from the...
Most Oregonians Applying for Disaster Aid After 2020 Wildfires Denied
Feb 16 2021 // More than 24,000 Oregonians applied for federal disaster assistance after the catastrophic 2020 wildfires and about 57% of them were denied. Jefferson Public Radio reports that nearly 14,000 Oregonians have been denied...
FEMA: Aid Deadline for Residential Losses from Hurricane Zeta — March 15
Feb 12 2021 // Residents in six Louisiana parishes have until mid-March to apply for Hurricane Zeta, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says. The deadline for parishes and other public entities to apply for Zeta aid has passed. The...
California Surplus Lines Weathered Pandemic, Wildfires, Civil Unrest
Feb 9 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,...
Damage From Wildfire Smoke Extends to Infrastructure, Businesses, Other Communities
Feb 8 2021 // The damage caused by wildfires can be devastating, gutting structures and driving out people who live and work nearby. And researchers say the smoke from the annually recurring blazes also delivers economic damage to areas...
Arizona Facing Above-Normal Wildfire Threats
Feb 8 2021 // Drought remains in place across Arizona with a likelihood of warm and dry conditions in coming months even after a recent storm dropped heavy snow across much of the state’s high country, a 2021 wildfire season...
California Largest Utilities Will Spend Billions to Lower Wildfire Risk
Feb 8 2021 // California’s largest utilities said that they will spend about $13 billion to reduce the risk of wildfires following the worst fire season in modern state history and a string of blazes that were blamed on their...
Biden Approves Disaster Declaration for Maryland Related to Tropical Storm
Feb 8 2021 // President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for Maryland and ordered federal assistance for recovery effort in areas affected by Tropical Storm Isaias in August. Federal funding will be available to state and local...
2020 Hurricane Insurance Claims Up to $7.7B in Louisiana
Feb 8 2021 // Through the end of 2020 property/casualty insurers paid out or reserved $7.7 billion On claims of all types resulting from Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta in Louisiana, the state insurance department reported. The...
Northern Oklahoma Rattled by Small Earthquakes
Feb 7 2021 // A series of small earthquakes believed by seismologists to be caused by the underground injection of wastewater from oil and gas production continued to rattle northern Oklahoma on Feb. 6. Four quakes occurred Saturday...
National Fire Protection Association, State Farm Funding Wildfire Preparedness
Feb 4 2021 // The National Fire Protection Association and State Farm have kicked off a funding awards application period for the eighth national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 1, which helps communities prepare...
Drought, Wildfire Threat Lead to Disaster Declaration in Texas
Feb 3 2021 // Saying exceptional drought conditions pose a wildfire threat in a large swath of West and Southwest Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for counties in those areas of the state. Abbott said drought...
Argo’s Q4 2020 Losses from Natural Disasters and COVID-19 Estimated at $51M
Feb 3 2021 // Argo Group International Holdings Ltd. estimates losses from fourth quarter 2020 natural catastrophes and the COVID-19 pandemic will hit $51 million. Breaking down the overall total, Bermuda-based Argo expects to report Q4...
Croatian Residents Rush to Buy Earthquake Cover After Destructive Quakes in 2020
Feb 3 2021 // Croatian insurers are reaping a windfall as residents rush to sign up for protection after two destructive earthquakes last year left them to rebuild without private coverage, the head of the country’s industry...
Over $115M in Federal Flood Insurance Paid in Louisiana for 2020 Hurricanes
Feb 2 2021 // As of Feb. 1, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has 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...
Tornado Hits Florida’s Capital City; Damages, Closes Airport
Jan 29 2021 // A tornado touched down near the airport in Florida’s capital city Wednesday, flipping at least one small plane over and knocking out weather radar before moving east into residential neighborhoods, the National...
