natural catastrophes News

Italian Insurer Unipol and SpaceX Join Forces to Help People Hit by Flooding

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Unipol Gruppo agreed to join forces to help people hit by flooding in northern Italy connect to the Internet, facilitating rescue operations, the Italian insurer said on Saturday. Torrential rains devastated the eastern side of the …

Cyclone Mocha Is One of Strongest Storms Recorded in North Indian Ocean

The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Mocha have moved further inland over Myanmar after coming ashore Sunday with winds of 155 miles per hour on the US wind scale. At its peak the winds reached 175 mph, tying it with 2019’s …

New Zealand Pledges $720M for Cyclone and Flood Recovery

The New Zealand government said on Sunday it was allocating NZ$1.1 billion ($720 million) to help communities recover from a cyclone and floods that lashed the country this year. The funds from the 2023 budget are to cover “basics” of …

Cyclone Mocha Hits Bangladesh, Myanmar, Forcing Mass Evacuations

Cyclone Mocha made landfall on Sunday as Bangladesh and Myanmar evacuated hundreds of thousands of people on fears of widespread destruction to one of the most vulnerable areas in the region. The storm is set to cross the world’s biggest …

Update: Wildfires Rage Across Canada’s Gas Heartland, Cutting Production

Wildfires raging across western Canada forced the evacuation of 30,000 residents and cut at least 234,000 barrels a day of oil and gas production as companies shut down wells and pipelines. A total of 100 blazes were burning Monday afternoon, …

Insured Losses for New Zealand North Island Floods Estimated at NZ$1.8B: PERILS

Insured losses for New Zealand’s North Island floods of Jan. 27 to Feb. 2 are estimated at NZ$1.75 billion ($1.1 billion), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data. This second PERILS’ loss estimate has …

Western Australia Assesses Damage From Cyclone Ilsa’s ‘Path of Destruction’

Emergency authorities in Western Australia were assessing damage on Saturday from a tropical cyclone that hit the state’s northwest, sparing heavily populated areas but affecting several remote communities. Ilsa, downgraded to a severe weather system, made landfall in the sparsely …

Western Australia’s Iron Ore Export Hub Reopens as Cyclone Moves Inland

The key iron ore export hub of Port Hedland reopened after the biggest cyclone to hit Western Australia in at least a decade made landfall, with a major gold mine facing destructive winds as the storm moves inland. Port Hedland …

Australia’s Iron Ore Export Hub Braces for Powerful Cyclone Ilsa

Australia’s northwest region, home to the world’s largest iron ore export hub, braced on Thursday for the area’s most powerful tropical cyclone in a decade, as a major port closed and residents rushed to stock up on essential supplies. Cyclone …

Western Australia Could Be Hit by Biggest Cyclone in Almost a Decade

Western Australia could be hit by the largest cyclone in almost a decade this week, with the weather system predicted to cross the coast near a major export port for iron ore that’s to be cleared of vessels. Tropical Cyclone …