Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Coastal Washington Tribe Builds Tsunami Refuge Tower
Aug 11 2022 // There’s a new option to escape a tsunami for people on the southwest coast of Washington. The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe dedicated a 50-foot tall evacuation tower in Tokeland, Washington, the Northwest News Network...
Wildfires Rage in France, Destroying Homes, Forcing Evacuation of Residents
Aug 11 2022 // Wildfires tore through the Gironde region of southwestern France on Wednesday, destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of 10,000 residents, some of whom had clambered onto rooftops as the flames got...
California’s Largest Wildfire Now 60% Contained
Aug 10 2022 // California’s largest wildfire so far this year has so far burned more than 60,000 acres, but it is now 60% contained. The McKinney Fire broke out on July 29 in an unpopulated area in Klamath National Forest. The fire...
2 New Mexico Counties Were Added to Wildfire Disaster Declaration
Aug 9 2022 // Two more New Mexico counties were added to a federal disaster declaration issued in response to the state’s historic wildfire season. State officials said that Los Alamos and Sandoval counties will now be eligible...
Climate Migration: California Wildfire Pushes Family to Vermont ‘Climate Haven’
Aug 9 2022 // PROCTOR, Vt. (AP) — Weeks after surviving one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history, the Holden family just wanted a new home. The family of seven couldn’t find anything nearby to...
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Virtual Currency Mixer Tornado Cash
Aug 8 2022 // The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash, accusing it of helping hackers, including from North Korea, to launder proceeds from their cyber crimes. A senior Treasury Department...
Oregon’s Wildfire Risk Map Emerges as Climate Flashpoint
Aug 8 2022 // A new map in Oregon that rated the wildfire risk of every tax lot in the state – labeling nearly 80,000 structures as high-risk – generated so much pushback from angry homeowners that officials abruptly retracted it,...
North Texas Wildfires Continue to Erupt
Aug 5 2022 // One firefighter was injured and two others were treated for heat exhaustion while fighting a wildfire in North Texas that burned almost half a square mile Wednesday, officials said. The fire near Tolar, about 40 miles (65...
CSU Team Slightly Lowers Forecast for Still Above-Average Hurricane Season
Aug 5 2022 // The hurricane research team at Colorado State University has slightly lowered its outlook for the Atlantic hurricane season but is still calling for above-average action. The CSU Tropical Meteorology Project team is now...
California’s Largest Wildfire Got Very Little Help from Rainfall
Aug 4 2022 // California’s largest wildfire so far this year has so far charred nearly 90 square miles, getting only a little help from rainfall in the area this week. The wildfire, which is now listed as 10% contained, broke out...
Utah Man Accused of Causing Wildfire by Burning Spider
Aug 4 2022 // A Utah man has been arrested on accusations he started a wildfire while trying to burn a spider with his lighter. Cory Allan Martin, 26, told deputies that he spotted the spider Monday while he was in a hiking area in the...
Slow Recovery From Bama Twister Could be Harbinger for Hurricane-Prone South
Aug 4 2022 // There’s not much in Greene County, a place that stands out even in impoverished west Alabama for its neediness. So the April tornado that settled down upon a housing community full of seniors and low-income families...
Western Nebraska Wildfire Forces Evacuations, Destroys Homes
Aug 3 2022 // A wildfire that has forced evacuations and destroyed some homes in the Nebraska Panhandle grew to about 25000 square miles (64749.77 square kilometers) Monday, but firefighters were managing to limit the spread of the...
California Commissioner Orders Cancellation Moratorium for Wildfires
Aug 2 2022 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara this week ordered insurers to preserve residential insurance coverage for the county of Mariposa following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s emergency declaration. Lara’s order...
2 Bodies Found Inside Vehicle in Path of Big California Wildfire
Aug 2 2022 // Authorities said two bodies were found inside a burned vehicle in the path of a raging Northern California wildfire that is one of several major blazes burning across the U.S. West amid hot, dry, gusty conditions. The...
California Seeing Largest Wildfire of 2022 at 80 Square Miles
Aug 1 2022 // A wildfire in Northern California was burning out of control on Monday amid exacerbating conditions that pose the dangers of thunderstorms, and hot, windy conditions. The McKinney Fire grew rapidly to more than 80 square...
Western U.S. Wildfires Explode in Size Amid Hot, Windy Conditions
Aug 1 2022 // Wildfires in California and Montana exploded in size overnight amid windy, hot conditions and were quickly encroaching on neighborhoods, forcing evacuation orders for over 100 homes Saturday, while an Idaho blaze was...
Global Natural Disasters Cost Insurers $34 Billion in H1 2022: Munich Re
Jul 28 2022 // Global natural disasters during the first half of 2022 cost insurers about US$34 billion, which covered a little more than half of the overall $65 billion in losses from floods, earthquakes, and storms during the first six...
Reinsurer SCOR Reports H1 Loss of €239M Blamed on Ukraine War, Natural Disasters
Jul 28 2022 // Reinsurer SCOR reported a first half loss attributed to the war in Ukraine, natural catastrophes and the severe drought in Brazil. The H1 loss of €239 million (US$242.6 million), compares with net income of €380...
Natural Disasters Cost Insurers $39B During H1 2022, 18% More Than Average: Aon
Jul 27 2022 // Insured losses from global natural disaster events were estimated at $39 billion during the first half of 2022, 18% higher than the 21st century average of $33 billion, driven by persistent severe convective storm (SCS)...
