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

Recent Patterns Heighten Threat of Active Atlantic Hurricane Season

The threat of an above-average 2010 Atlantic hurricane season has heightened over the past month and it now promises to be “a hell of a year,” a leading U.S. forecaster said Wednesday. William Gray, the hurricane forecast pioneer who founded …

U.S. Hurricane Center Director Says Haiti is ‘Biggest Concern’

U.S. National Hurricane Center director Bill Read said Tuesday that earthquake-ravaged Haiti was his biggest concern as another Atlantic hurricane season gets under way. He also acknowledged that a powerful storm could wreak havoc with efforts to fight the massive …

Lloyd’s Estimates Chile Quake Loss at $1.4 Billion; Oil Spill $300 to $600 Million

Lloyd’s of London announced that it estimates its net claims before tax from the earthquake in Chile to be in the order of $1.4 billion. Current estimates for the net claims from the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of …

Lloyds, Other Insurers Sue to Block BP Claim Against Transocean

Lloyd’s of London has asked a U.S. court to block a claim filed by oil major BP seeking damages against driller Transocean, which drilled the well which is currently gushing crude into the Gulf of Mexico. Lloyds underwriting syndicates and …

Justice Department Defends Retroactive Liability Limit on BP

The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday that Congress could retroactively impose a higher liability cap on BP Plc to pay for the damage from its growing oil spill, and the company would likely lose if it challenged the higher cap …

U.S. Slams Transocean’s Attempt to Limit Liability for Oil Spill

The Obama administration Tuesday slammed as “inappropriate” an attempt by Transocean Ltd to limit its liability for its role in the BP Plc oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to under $27 million. Noting that the law the company …

Intermap Technologies, JBA Consulting Provide European Flood Maps

Denver-based Intermap Technologies, a worldwide 3D digital mapping and geospatial solutions company, and the UK’s JBA Consulting, a European flood risk and environmental management firm, announced a strategic collaboration, designed to “provide detailed flood mapping services for clients across Continental …

First System Forms Before Atlantic Hurricane Season Officially Opens

The U.S. National Hurricane Center started tracking the first low pressure system of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season late Sunday, reminding energy and commodities traders of the coming storm season, which officially starts June 1 and ends Nov. 30. The …

Shareholders Sue BP, Allege Safety Failure Created Liability Exposure

Shareholders have sued the board of BP Plc for failing to monitor safety and exposing the company to potentially enormous liability related to the Deepwater spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, according to court documents. A month ago a …

Insurers Paid $768 Million in Losses from 2009 Colorado Windstorm

An insurance organization says a windstorm that brought two weak tornadoes, rain and hail to the western Denver suburbs last July caused $768 million in insured losses to vehicles and homes. The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association said that it’s …