Articles by Brian K. Sullivan and Jonathan Levin

Category 5 Dorian Batters Bahamas; Florida, Southeast Coast Await Fate

Sept. 2, 2019, 7:12 AM ESTβ€” Hurricane Dorian, tied as the most powerful storm to hit land anywhere in the Atlantic, battered the Bahamas inflicting colossal damage to property and infrastructure across the chain of islands. The hurricane was packing …

Update Aug. 31: Hurricane Dorian May Veer Away From Direct Hit on Florida

Hurricane Dorian strengthened as it churned toward Florida, where forecasters are trying to determine if it will stall near the coast or even fail to make landfall in the state at all. The hurricane’s center was about 445 miles (716 …

New Miami Hurricane Hazard: Dockless Scooters as Projectiles

Florida is facing its first major storm in the age of dockless scooters. Miami — home to a large proportion of them — isn’t taking any chances. The city has told all rental services to get their conveyances off the …

Miami Beach Developer Dismisses Rising Sea Levels as ‘Paranoia’

A South Florida developer is questioning the well-established facts of climate change, and is putting his money where his mouth is, investing millions to build residential projects in highly exposed Miami Beach. Brazilian billionaire Jose Isaac Peres is hosting an …

Hurricane Maria Likely Killed 1,139, Far More Than Government Tally: Penn State Study

Some 1,139 people are likely to have perished after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September, far more than the official death count of 64, according to a Pennsylvania State University study published Thursday in the Journal of the American …

Hurricane Maria Death Toll Much Higher Than Official Count Said: Harvard Study

Hurricane Maria probably killed about 5,000 people in Puerto Rico last year even though the official count remains at just 64, according to a Harvard University study released Tuesday. Such mortality would far outstrip the 1,833 who died in Hurricane …

Puerto Rico Agrees FEMA to Approve How Disaster Aid Is Spent

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said the island has agreed to give the Federal Emergency Management Agency unprecedented power to oversee disaster-relief spending, a step that may mollify Congress as the territory seeks billions to recover from Hurricane Maria. Rossello, …

Florida ‘Dodged a Cannon’ as Irma Swerved and Weakened

Florida is drenched, tattered — but fortunate. Hurricane Irma weakened as it moved past Tampa on Monday, leaving in its wake a state that avoided the worst predictions of its destruction by sea and storm. By one estimate, the cost …

Lloyd’s Sees Political Risk Insurance Opportunity in Trump, Brexit

Lloyd’s of London Chief Executive Officer Inga Beale said Donald Trump’s presidency and the U.K.’s planned exit from the European Union are creating opportunities to sell insurance guarding commercial clients against disruptions in global commerce. “I wouldn’t be surprised if …

Allianz: Hedge Funds Are Opportunity for Insurance Industry, Not Threat

Chris Fischer Hirs, the head of Allianz SE’s specialty insurance business, said he welcomes the growing participation of Wall Street in the insurance industry as an opportunity, not a threat. “Hedge funds bring capacity to the market,” Fischer Hirs said …