West News

Moody’s RMS Estimates $4B to $6B in Economic Losses from Hawaii Wildfires

Moody’s RMS issued estimates on Tuesday showing economic losses from the recent Lahaina Conflagration and Kula wildfires in Hawaii at $4 billion to $6 billion. The loss estimate reflects property damage, contents, and business interruption, across residential, commercial, industrial, automobile, …

Maui Fire Victims Pursue Legal Tactic That Led to $13.5 Billion California Settlement

Hawaii property owners are seizing on a legal shortcut used by fire victims in California to secure compensation from Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. for damages following the fires that ravaged Maui. The strategy, which doesn’t require proving negligence, helped push …

San Francisco Archdiocese Files for Bankruptcy Citing 500 Sex Abuse Claims

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco has filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The church said the filing is necessary to manage the more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual …

Early Estimate of Tropical Storm Hilary’s Damage and Economic Loss: $9 Billion

AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Tropical Storm Hilary in the U.S. is $7 billion to $9 billion. Hilary brought widespread flooding through Southern California, washing out roads and bridges, flooding cars and homes, and …

Hilary Hammers California With Flooding Rain and Blackouts

The remnants of Tropical Storm Hilary pummeled California with flooding rains on Monday, disrupting flights and knocking out power across parts of the state. About 41,000 customers were without electricity as of 7:15 a.m. local time, according to PowerOutage.us. More …

FEMA Payouts Thus Far Top $5.6 Million in Maui; Amount Expected to Grow Significantly

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday it has approved more than $5.6 million in assistance to nearly 2,000 households in Maui so far as the federal government tries to help survivors of the devastating wildfires. The White House and …

Fires and Other Disasters are Increasing in Hawaii, According to AP Data Analysis

KIHEI, Hawaii (AP) — Hurricane-fueled flash floods and mudslides. Lava that creeps into neighborhoods. Fierce drought that materializes in a flash and lingers. Earthquakes. And now, deadly fires that burn block after historic block. Hawaii is increasingly under siege from …

Calif. Appellate Court Revives Allstate Whistleblower Suit Against Radiology ‘Broker’

A California appellate court revived two whistleblower lawsuits filed by Allstate against a Los Angeles-area business owner who has no medical license but allegedly operated medical practices that referred auto and workers’ compensation claimants to radiologists in order to send …

Evacuations Ordered After Winds Whip Calif. Forest Fire Near Site of 2022 Deadly Blaze

HAMBURG, Calif. (AP) — Rural areas near California`s border with Oregon were under evacuation orders Wednesday after gusty winds from a thunderstorm sent a lightning-sparked wildfire racing through national forest lands, authorities said. The blaze in Siskiyou County, dubbed the …

Videos Put Scrutiny on Downed Power Lines as Possible Cause of Deadly Maui Wildfires

Awakened by howling winds that tore through his Maui neighborhood, Shane Treu went out at dawn and saw a wooden power pole suddenly snap with a flash, its sparking, popping line falling to the dry grass below and quickly igniting …

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