storms News

Study Shows Saharan Dust Plumes Impact Hurricanes in the U.S.

Giant plumes of Sahara Desert dust that gust across the Atlantic can suppress hurricane formation over the ocean and affect weather in North America, according to findings of a newly released study by Stanford University. The thick dust clouds can …

The Problem(s) With Hail Claims – Part 3

Read the first part in this series, The Problem(s) With Hail Claims, Part 1: A Cautionary Tale for Insureds and Insurers, and the second part in this series, The Problem(s) With Hail Claims – Part 2. My previous two columns …

U.S. P/C Underwriting Results: Two Years in a Row Over $20 Billion in the Red

For the second year in a row, the U.S. property/casualty industry booked an underwriting loss of more than $20 billion primarily due to the lackluster performance of personal auto and home insurance lines. The total U.S. P/C underwriting loss in …

U.S. Home Insurance Still Priced Too Low for Climate Risk, Says Swiss Re Chair

This has been a year of insurance sticker shock in the US. But the man who provides insurance to insurers thinks maybe the shock still isn’t enough to steer people away from risk in a changing climate. “There is not …

Experts: Atlantic Hurricane Season Potential on Par with 2005, 1995

Atlantic hurricane risk in the U.S. continues to increase “substantially as oceanic and atmospheric conditions reach a point where tropical cyclone formation” is becoming increasingly favorable, putting the season’s outlook on par with some past massive and destructive seasons, storm …

Potent Hurricane Weather Pattern Continues to Take Shape, Forecaster Says

The hurricane season continues to look like it will be a highly active one, as a potent and portentous weather pattern continues to take shape, an AccuWeather meteorologist told Claims Journal on Friday. “It certainly looks like it’s going to …

Catastrophe Bond Sales Soar as Markets Brace for Unusually Active Hurricane Season

Issuance of catastrophe bonds just hit a record high, as the market braces for a rough hurricane season with the potential to do substantial damage. Sales of so-called cat bonds are 38% higher this year through May than over the …

Texas Braces for Violent Weather in Wake of Recent Deadly Storms

Nearly 11 million people in the heart of Texas, including Austin, Fort Worth and Dallas, face an enhanced threat of severe thunderstorms on Tuesday, the US Storm Prediction Center said. The systems bring the “potential for significant damaging wind and …

NOAA Chimes in With Prediction of Above-Average Atlantic Hurricane Season

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an 85% chance of an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, with up to 25 named storms. “The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected to have above-normal activity due to a confluence of factors, …

Over 946,000 Customers Still Without Power After Storms in Texas, Louisiana

More than 946,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states were still without power on Friday morning after killer storms battered the region on Thursday, according to meteorologists and data from PowerOutage.us. The storm with hurricane-force …