Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Tropical Storm Nicholas to Test Post-Harvey Houston Infrastructure
Sep 14 2021 // On Aug. 25, the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, which dumped about 50 inches of rain on Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that the city “is safer today as it prepares to move forward.” Now comes...
Tropical Storm Nicholas Drenches Texas, Louisiana
Sep 14 2021 // HOUSTON — Heavy rains lashed Texas and Louisiana on Tuesday as hurricane Nicholas weakened into a tropical storm, bringing the threat of widespread floods and power outages as it swept down the U.S. Gulf Coast. It is the...
67% of Northern Minnesota Wildfire Contained
Sep 13 2021 // Authorities said on Sept. 12 that a vast majority of the Greenwood Lake wildfire in northern Minnesota is contained, one month after lighting ignited the blaze in the Superior National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service...
AIR Says Hurricane Ida Insurance Losses Could Reach $30 Billion
Sep 13 2021 // Modeling firm AIR Worldwide has updated its insured loss estimates for Hurricane Ida and now projects that Ida’s insured industry losses will range from $20 billion to $30 billion. The estimate includes inland flood...
KCC Estimates Sept. 7 Mexico Earthquake Insured Losses at $200M
Sep 13 2021 // The impact from the the strong (magnitude 7.0) earthquake that occurred Sept. 7 near Acapulco City, Mexico is expected to be moderate, with insured losses of about $200 million, according to catastrophe modeling firm Karen...
U.S. Hurricane Ida, Haiti Quake, Multiple Major Wildfires Among August’s Disasters: Aon
Sep 13 2021 // Hurricane Ida will likely become one of the costliest U.S. mainland hurricanes on record both on a nominal and inflation-adjusted basis, according to Aon’s monthly Global Catastrophe Recap report, which evaluated the...
Tropical Storm Nicholas Heads for Texas, Louisiana
Sep 13 2021 // Tropical Storm Nicholas will pass near or just offshore the coasts of northeastern Mexico and south Texas this morning, and move onshore along the coast of south or central Texas late this afternoon or evening, the...
Typhoon Chanthu’s Rains, Winds Threaten China Coastal Regions
Sep 13 2021 // Authorities in Shanghai and neighboring coastal regions canceled flights, and suspended schools, subways and trains as Typhoon Chanthu approached China after drenching Taiwan though causing little damage there. The storm,...
Louisiana Orders Insurers to Pay Hurricane Ida Evacuation Expenses
Sep 9 2021 // Louisiana’s top insurance regulator on Sept. 7 directed insurance companies pay policyholders’ Hurricane Ida evacuation expenses as damaged infrastructure and dangerous living conditions in Southeast Louisiana...
Tropical Storm Mindy Expected to Bring Heavy Rainfall to Florida Panhandle
Sep 9 2021 // Tropical Storm Mindy is expected to produce two to four inches of rainfall across the Florida Panhandle into southern Georgia and South Carolina through Tuesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Mindy...
Officials Say Wildfire Near Lake Tahoe Largely Kept from Towns
Sep 8 2021 // The huge wildfire near the Lake Tahoe resort region was about half contained as of Tuesday night, with the head of California’s firefighting agency saying crews largely have been able to keep flames away from...
NWS Says Seven Tornadoes Hit New Jersey, Pennsylvania During Storm
Sep 8 2021 // Seven tornados tore through parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey during last Wednesday night’s storm, including an EF-3 that damaged homes and businesses in the Garden State, according to the National Weather...
After Huge Wildfires, Greece Creates Climate Crisis Ministry
Sep 8 2021 // Greece’s center-right government has created a new ministry to address the impact of climate change and named former European Union commissioner Christos Stylianides as minister. Stylianides, 63, who served as...
U.S. Probing Nearly 350 Reports of Oil Spills in Hurricane Ida’s Wake
Sep 7 2021 // The U.S. Coast Guard said on Sept. 6 it was investigating nearly 350 reports of oil spills in and along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Ida’s 150 mile-per-hour (240 kph) winds wreaked havoc on...
Lake Tahoe Residents Glad Homes Spared from Massive Wildfire
Sep 7 2021 // Connor Jones sunbathed with his dog on the otherwise empty beach at Ski Run Marina on Monday, as residents trickling back into town filled up their cars at a gas station behind him and employees of a water sports rental...
Entergy Louisiana: Hurricane Ida Power Restoration Could Take Weeks
Sep 7 2021 // Full restoration of electricity to some of the hardest-hit areas of Louisiana battered to an unprecedented degree by Hurricane Ida could take until the end of the month, the head of Entergy Louisiana warned Sept. 4. At...
AIR Worldwide Estimates Insured Losses for Hurricane Ida Could Be Up to $25 Billion
Sep 3 2021 // Insurance industry insured losses to onshore property resulting from Hurricane Ida’s winds and storm surge will range from $17 billion to $25 billion. AIR’s modeled insured loss estimates include insured...
Earthquake Confirmed in Northeast Nevada, No Damage
Sep 2 2021 // A magnitude 4.7 hit in a remote area of northeast Nevada, where officials said they had no immediate reports of damage or injuries, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The USGS said temblor struck about 10:20 a.m. about...
Ida’s Inland Path May Reveal Hidden Risk, Test Mapping Methods of Hurricane Floods
Sep 2 2021 // With remnants of Ida delivering downpours and fierce winds from North Carolina to New Jersey, U.S. government methods for assessing flood risks may be put to the test this week. While coastal communities would seem to have...
Progress Against Flames from Massive Wildfire Near Lake Tahoe
Sep 1 2021 // Firefighters reported progress in the battle to save communities on the south end of Lake Tahoe from an approaching forest fire after the stiff winds they had feared failed to materialize in the California-Nevada alpine...
