property damage News

Copper Thieves Strike America’s Roadways

Just after midnight in September, a pickup truck struck and killed a 55-year-old woman crossing an intersection in a motorized wheelchair on a dark stretch of Kansas City, Missouri, highway. The streetlights had gone out there — after thieves stole …

Study Examines Minnesota Landslides

A study has determined that nearly 500 landslides have happened in the Mankato, Minnesota, area in recent years. Minnesota State University Earth Science Programs Director Phillip Larson with the help of students mapped out the area’s ravines, bluffs, nooks and …

Off-Site Backups, Planning Aid in Fire Recovery

It was early afternoon, the day after Thanksgiving in 2006, when Mark Nale walked into his den and saw the flames that – despite the family’s frantic efforts to put out – would destroy their Port Matilda, Pa., home. “It’s …

Wisconsin Bowling Industry Impacted by Floods, Closures

Bowling pins topple, teeter, spin and fly. But this summer they’ve also been charred by flames and soaked with floodwater, while others are headed into retirement. In July, fire destroyed the Friendship Bar & Bowl in Adams County. Meanwhile, in …

Researchers Find Vehicle-Deer Collision Occur More Often During Full Moon

Research conducted by Clarkson University Biology Chair Tom Langen has found that there is an increase in vehicle-deer accidents during a full moon. Langen worked with colleagues from the University of Salamanca, Spain. Langen obtained a database of 28,000 vehicle-deer …

Illinois Town Residents Seek Normalcy After Gas Blast

The fiery house explosion that rocked a quiet Marengo, Ill., neighborhood one year ago still haunts residents who live nearby. Most damaged houses have been repaired or rebuilt. Many displaced residents have moved back in and carried on with whatever …

U.S. Agencies Aim to Ramp up Earth’s Protection From Asteroids, Comets

The U.S. government is stepping up efforts to protect the planet from incoming asteroids that could wipe out entire regions or even continents. The National Science and Technology Council released a report Wednesday calling for improved asteroid detection, tracking and …

Travelers Lists Top 5 Wedding Insurance Claims

Almost one quarter (23 percent) of Travelers Companies wedding insurance claims in 2017 were due to severe weather that forced the event to be canceled or postponed. This was the highest percentage of weather-related claims the insurer has seen since …

Giant Hail Hits Dallas Area, Causes Millions in Damages

Baseball-sized hailstones smashed windshields, skylights and windows as thunderstorms swept through the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, causing millions of damage. The National Weather Service Office in Fort Worth said the storm developed rapidly over Denton and northwest Collin County …

Research Says Hawaii Volcano Oozed Hot Lava for Decades

Hawaii’s Kilauea is not your typical blow-the-top-off kind of volcano. It’s been simmering and bubbling for about 35 years, sending superhot hot lava spewing up through cracks in the ground. This month’s eruptions are more of the same, except the …