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

New BP CEO Dudley: Gulf Disaster a ‘Wake Up’ Call to Prioritize Safety

BP Plc’s newly named chief executive Tuesday called the Gulf oil spill a “wake-up call” for the entire industry as the company tallied up its losses and disclosed two U.S. investigations. Bob Dudley, who will replace gaffe-prone Tony Hayward as …

Marsh: Offshore Energy Insurance Costs to Increase ‘Modestly’

Major losses sustained in the Gulf of Mexico will not have the same market-changing impact on the upstream energy insurance market as other major events such as Hurricane Katrina, according to a new report published by insurance brokerage giant Marsh. …

Wisconsin Flood Damage Exceeds $28.5 Million

Damage from last week’s flooding in Milwaukee County, Wis., now exceeds more than $28.5 million, according to Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. He reported that 6,368 residential homes in Milwaukee County sustained damage totaling $16.8 million; 92 businesses sustained damage …

BP Claims Fund On Alert for Phonies While Cutting Red Tape

Swindlers, scammers and even a few strippers are flocking to the Gulf Coast in search of a piece of the $20 billion BP Plc has set aside to compensate residents for spill-related losses. Adjusters passing out emergency funds in Louisiana …

Tornado Damages 18 Condos in Western New York

A tornado tore through western New York on Saturday, ripping the roof off a condominium and damaging 17 others and causing widespread power outages. The National Weather Service said the twister touched down in Mayville in Chautauqua County at 4:48 …

Severe Weather Pummels Iowa

The Lake Delhi dam in eastern Iowa failed July 24 as rising floodwater from the Maquoketa River ate a 30-foot-wide hole in the earthen dam, causing water to drop 45 feet to the river below and threatening the small town …

19 Killed in Mass Panic at Germany’s Love Parade

Crowds of people streaming into a techno music festival surged through an already jammed entry tunnel on Saturday, setting off a panic that killed 19 people and injured 80 [later reports indicate that more than 300 were injured, many critically] …

Claims Fund Chief Says BP Stalling on Payments to Oil Disaster Victims

British energy giant BP Plc is holding up payments to economic victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Kenneth Feinberg, administrator of a $20 billion compensation fund, said Saturday. “I have a concern that BP is stalling claims. Yes, …

Typhoon Chanthu Hits South China – AIR Report

According to catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide, Typhoon Chanthu slammed into southern China near Wuchuan City in Guangdong Province on Thursday, “further drenching a region already inundated by a month of heavy rain and extensive flooding. “Chanthu’s winds were …

BP’s Partners Will Not Set Up Gulf Oil Claims Fund

The two oil companies that are BP’s partners in the now-capped oil well told Congress Thursday they will not set aside money for cleanup costs along the Gulf Coast because it is BP’s responsibility. Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and MOEX, a …