Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
RMS Says Insured Losses from 2020 Western U.S. Wildfires $7-$13B
Dec 15 2020 // RMS estimates insured losses from the record-breaking western U.S. wildfires this season will be between $7 and $13 billion. These losses reflect estimates as of Dec. 1. The ignition of the highly damaging Glass Fire and...
Deadline for Hurricane Insurance Filings Set by Louisiana Law
Dec 14 2020 // Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says people who need to file proof of loss documents for insurance claims involving property damage from Hurricane Laura have until February to do so. Donelon’s office...
Texas to Get Federal Disaster Assistance for Hurricane Laura Recovery
Dec 14 2020 // Federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Texas to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Laura from Aug. 23-27, 2020, according to FEMA. Federal...
With Economic Damages of $9B, Hurricanes Eta and Iota Topped Off Record Year: Aon
Dec 14 2020 // Hurricanes Eta and Iota in November topped off the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season when a record of 12 named storms made landfall in the United States. The two final hurricanes of the season had an economic cost of...
California Wildfire Survivors Urged to Call FEMA Helpline by Dec. 16
Dec 11 2020 // People with losses due to the California wildfires in Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, Napa, San Bernardino, San Diego, Shasta, Siskiyou and Sonoma counties have just five days left to register for federal...
Analysts Say Cat Models Would Encourage Wildfire Mitigation Measures
Dec 11 2020 // Predictive modelers told California regulators on Thursday that the state’s antiquated rules for calculating wildfire risk when setting property insurance rates discourage innovative mitigation measures that could...
Family of Pilot Killed Fighting California Wildfire Sues Aircraft Companies
Dec 11 2020 // The family of a veteran helicopter pilot who died when his aircraft crashed as he was dropping water over a California wildfire filed suit Wednesday against the companies that designed and maintained the aircraft. Michael...
4th Minor Earthquake in 2 Weeks Felt in Kansas
Dec 9 2020 // An earthquake rattled Wichita, Kan., on Dec. 8 — the fourth earthquake in the area in the last two weeks. The earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 3.0, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It struck in the morning in...
LDI: Proof of Loss Deadlines for Hurricane Claims in Louisiana Extended
Dec 9 2020 // Property insurance policyholders Louisiana policyholders who need to file hurricane damage claims have an more time than usual to do so under Louisiana law, according to the Louisiana Department of Insurance. In a media...
CFC Expands Terrorism Offering to Include Active Assailant Coverage
Dec 9 2020 // CFC, a specialist insurance provider specializing in emerging risks, has expanded its suite of terrorism and sabotage insurance products to include standalone active assailant cover. The active assailant policy covers...
Texas Windstorm Insurer to File for 5% Residential, Commercial Rate Hike
Dec 8 2020 // The board of directors of Texas’ insurer of last resort for wind and hail for properties along the Texas coast has directed its staff to file a rate increase of 5% for both residential and commercial policies with...
2020 Western U.S. Wildfire Season Gave Us Gigafire, Several Massive Blazes
Dec 8 2020 // Want more proof that 2020 will go down as a year we should all try hard to forget about? With some 9 million acres burned in wildfires across Western U.S. this year, and the introduction of a new and terrifying term...
South Carolina City to Receive $1.45M for Hurricane Florence Damage
Dec 8 2020 // A coastal city in South Carolina is getting $1.45 million from the federal government to repair damage caused by Hurricane Florence in 2018. The U.S. Department of Commerce is awarding the grant to Georgetown to improve...
Deadline for FEMA Help for Louisiana Hurricane Delta Victims Looms
Dec 8 2020 // Renters and homeowners in parishes designated for FEMA assistance afterHurricane Delta have until Dec. 16 to register for help, the federal agency said. Federal assistance includes help for temporary housing, rental...
Canada Must Address Rising Costs of Natural Disasters, Says Research Group
Dec 8 2020 // Canada should accelerate measures, including financing mechanisms, to help governments, companies and individuals prepare for the rising costs of weather-related disasters, according to a research institute. The cost of...
USDA Names Louisiana Hurricane Natural Disaster Areas; Ag Producers Eligible for Aid
Dec 7 2020 // The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated several parishes disaster areas as a result of damage and losses caused by Hurricane Laura’s strong winds in late August, according to Louisiana Commissioner...
Dual FEMA Programs Aim to Provide Housing for Louisiana Hurricane Victims
Dec 7 2020 // Louisiana residents affected by Hurricanes Laura and Delta could be eligible for temporary housing under two federally administered programs. Under the Multifamily Lease and Repair Program, the Federal Emergency Management...
PG&E Rate Hike in California Aimed at Easing Wildfire Risk
Dec 7 2020 // Pacific Gas & Electric’s household customers will be hit with an average rate increase of 8% to help the once-bankrupt utility pay for improvements designed to reduce the risks that its outdated equipment will...
Farmers in 21 Louisiana Parishes May Qualify for Hurricane Laura Aid
Dec 4 2020 // Farmers in 21 north and central Louisiana parishes may qualify for low-interest loans to cover losses from Hurricane Laura in August. These are parishes which did not already qualify under President Donald Trump’s...
Wind Whips up Wildfire in California Canyons, Residents Flee
Dec 4 2020 // Powerful gusts pushed flames from a wildfire through Southern California canyons on Thursday, one of several blazes that burned near homes and forced residents to flee amid elevated fire risk for most of the region that...
