Disaster (Flood,Coastal,EQ,W-Fire,etc.) News

Mexico Could Join Lawsuits Over Gulf Oil Disaster

Mexico’s federal government could join a list of its states suing the companies blamed for the disastrous Gulf oil spill, claiming damage to fishing and tourism, the plaintiffs’ attorney said this week. Earlier this month, three Mexican states sued British …

Many Denied Oil Disaster Claims to Get Second Look

The administrator of BP’s $20 billion fund to compensate people harmed by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill says some whose claims were denied will get paid after all. Kenneth Feinberg says the Gulf Coast Claims Facility expects many of …

Munich Re Highlights Climate Change Link to Extreme Weather Events

A bulletin from Munich Re underlines the “exceptionally high” incidence of “weather-related natural catastrophe losses in the first nine months of 2010,” both in “number and scale.” The floods in central Europe, wildfires in Russia and widespread flooding in Pakistan …

Alabama Expects Billions from BP for Oil Spill Impact

Alabama expects to receive billions of dollars in penalties from BP Plc in the wake of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a state commission said Monday. BP and the White House will probably soon reach an agreement …

BP Says Internal Probe of Gulf Oil Disaster Lacked Others’ Input

BP’s lead investigator into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill told an independent panel of experts recently that the company’s internal probe had limitations. Mark Bly, head of safety and operations for BP PLC, said a lack of physical evidence …

Tennessee Warned to Take Earthquake Threat Seriously

Cities and states have improved their disaster readiness since the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, but authorities must keep stressing emergency preparedness to reduce complacency among the general public, retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore said in Memphis Friday. …

Tropical Storm Matthew Heading for Central America

Tropical Storm Matthew formed over the western Caribbean Thursday and was expected to hit Central America as early as Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph [72 kph], could disrupt …

AIR Estimates Mexico Insured Losses from Karl at $102-$206 Million

According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, Hurricane Karl, which made its second landfall in Mexico last Friday as a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, has caused several rivers and canals to overflow, inundating large portions of …

House Joins Senate in Extending Flood Insurance for 1 Year

The House of Representatives joined the Senate yesterday in approving a one-year reauthorization of the nation’s flood insurance program. The measure, S. 3814, will extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) until Sept. 30, 2011. The measure now goes to …

House Expected to Go Along with 1 Year Flood Insurance Extension

Congress is on track to temporarily extend within days a troubled program that insures millions of U.S. homes and businesses against floods, with another push for a broad overhaul looking likely next year. The Senate on Tuesday approved an extension …