Links: National Weather Service | FEMA | Contingency Planning New Catastrophe News Format Click on any of the headlines below for the latest catastrophe news from Insurance Journal:                                                         04/27/07 Loss Figures for North Texas Storm Revised to $100M   Federal Money, Insurance Payments Approved for Entergy New Orleans   N.Y., Northeast Small Businesses Face Need for Disaster Insurance   First Quarter Catastrophes Cost U.S. Insurers $1.22 billion 04/26/07 La. Hurricane Safe Rooms Fitted with Pump Automation Systems   Storms Kill 10 Along Texas/Mexico Border, Gov. Declares Disaster Area 04/25/07 P/C Insurers to Pay $1.2 Billion in 1st Quarter Home, Business Catastrophe Claims 04/24/07 Feds Send $109 Million for Nebraska Ice Storm Repairs   Citing $36 Million in Flood Damage, N.H. Seeks U.S. Disaster Aid   Freeing Streams of Debris Might Help Control Flooding in Future 04/20/07 Allstate Wins 29% Rate Hike in Miss.; Resumes Coastal Writings 04/19/07 Tornado Losses in N.J., Conn., Ohio Could Top Those of Great Plains States 04/18/07 Allstate to Appeal $2.8M Verdict in N.O. Katrina Damage Case   Nor'easter Kills 2, Forces 1,400 Evacuations in N.J.   Judge Vows He's Still Open to Mass Settlement of State Farm Katrina Claims in Miss. 04/17/07 Losses Estimated at $25 Million in North Texas Storm   Alabama Officials Prepare for Hurricane Season   Concern About Dam Leads to Evacuations in W. Va.'s Lincoln County 04/16/07 N.O. Jury may Consider Whether Katrina Claim was Misrepresented   Report: Army Corps Must Acknowledge Global Warming 04/13/07 Wind or Water? Victims Got Conflicting Info on What Caused Damage   Tenn. Gov. Requests Federal Disaster Loans For Crop Damage   State Farm Begins Reevaluation of Mississippi Katrina Claims   95% of Claims from 2006 Ind. Hail Storm Closed, Industry Group Says   Bush Administration Rejects Pleas for Federal Disaster Plan 04/12/07 Twister Leaves Body of Work for Auto Shops   Engineer Testifies at Trial for La. Hurricane Suit Against Allstate   My Safe Florida Home Program Adds 11 New Inspection Firms   Miss. Wind Pool Slashes Commercial Rate Hike Using Federal Funds   Lawyers: E-mails Help Them Prove Homeowners' Katrina Cases 04/09/07 New Orleans Still Debating How to Evacuate Thousands of Residents   Tornado-Damaged Ala. Schools Get Reconstruction Funding   Fla. Rating System Scores Homes' Ability to Withstand Wind Damage   Neb. Wheat Growers Worry About Cold Damage; Grapes Hit Hard   Hurricane Forecaster Says Gore Does 'Great Disservice' with Film 04/06/07 New Mexico Insured Tornado Losses Estimated at $16.5 Million   38 More Miss. Katrina Suits Settled in Mediation, Judge Reports   RiskMeter Adds New Storm Surge Report to Online Hazard Lookup 04/05/07 Levees Protecting West Sacramento Need $8.5 Million in Repairs   Not All Gulf Coast Residents Put Stock in Latest Hurricane Forecast   Fla. Searches for New Beginning Amid Continuing Insurance, Climate Woes   Miss. Wind Pool Prepares Rate Cuts After Feds Give $30 Million   Insurers Support Tax-Free Savings Accounts for Natural Disasters 04/04/07 Bush Declares Disaster for N.M.'s Curry, Quay Counties   Corps to Bolster New Orleans Floodwalls   Insurers Support Limited Wind Pool Expansion in S.C.   High Winds Damage Buildings in Western Chicago Suburbs   Forecasters Warn of Very Active Hurricane Season Ahead in 2007 04/03/07 Okla. AG Warns of Potential Storm Scams 04/02/07 Texas Storms Damage Dozens of Homes   Georgia Towns Hit by Storms Receive Additional Federal Aid   Mitigation Grants Showing up in Florida Mailboxes 03/30/07 Tornadoes Kill 2 people in Oklahoma, 1 in Colo.   Fla. Considers Storm Supply Tax Break, New Claims Law Glitch   State Farm Settles Another Katrina Claim Lawsuit in Miss.   RMS Defends 'Near Term' Hurricane Model, Denies Collusion 03/29/07 Let Private Markets Handle Most Disasters, Insurers Advise Congress   'Near Term' Hurricane Models Used by Insurers Under Fire 03/28/07 Fla. Commissioner Testifies for States on National Disaster Insurance   First Responders, Businesses Tell Congress U.S. Needs Disaster Plan 03/27/07 Bipartisan Flood Insurance 'Modernization' Bill Boosts Borrowing, Maximum Limits 03/26/07 Class Action for Miss. Katrina 'Slab' Claims Denied a Third Time   Sen. Lott Undecided Whether to Settle or Go to Trial On Katrina Claim   S.C. Expands Wind Insurance Program Along Coast to More Insureds   Miss. Gov. Barbour Signs Wind Pool Premium Relief Bill 03/23/07 La. Report Blames Corps of Engineers for New Orleans Levee Breaks 03/22/07 Miss.: State Farm Settles Fourth Katrina Lawsuit in a Month   Ala. Judge Considers Penalties Against Katrina Whistleblowers   Md. Senate Committee Nixes Bill Forcing Insurers to Write on Coast   Fla. Senators Propose National Hurricane Relief 'Six-Pack' of Bills 03/21/07 Deadline Approaching for Agriculture Disaster Programs in La.   Insurer Delivers First Check to Aid Tornado-Stricken Ala. Town 03/20/07 Calif. Bay Area Faces Landslide Hazards   Emergency Management Officials Explain Disaster Aid to Mo. Residents 03/19/07 Ky., Federal Officials to Address National Flood Insurance Questions   Fla. Catastrophe Fund Changes Prompt Citizens Refunds   Settlement Reached in Miss. Homeowner's Case Against State Farm   Ga.: Losses from March 1 Storms Top $210 Million   Miss. Commissioner: State Farm to Reopen Katrina Claims   Minn. Governor Promises Financial Help for Flood Ravaged Town   House Committee Approves Agricultural Disaster Funds   Hurricane Chief Voices Concerns About Forecasts from Aging Satellite 03/16/07 Miss. Lawmakers Agree on $80 Million Wind Pool Relief Plan   Washington Warming to National Disaster Plan Idea 03/14/07 Request Withdrawn for Judge to Approve Miss. State Farm Settlement 03/13/07 S. D. State Disaster Funds Replenished with $1.5 Million 03/10/07 La.'s Citizens Agrees to Mass Settlement of Hurricane Suits   Dodd Blasts Insurance Industry Response to Hurricanes 03/09/07 Calif.'s Feinstein, Boxer Urge Federal Disaster Declaration for Freeze   Ga. Releases $3 Million For Local Storm Response 03/08/07 Settlement in Katrina Lawsuit Over Damage to Miss. Rental Home   Fla. Committee Charged with Windstorm Mitigation Publishes Report   Wis. American Family Pays Record $1.1 Billion in Storm Claims 03/07/07 Violent Weather Bypassing Texas; Drought to Linger 03/06/07 Blizzards Still Claiming Livestock on Colorado Ranches   Hurricane Rita's Claims Total $5.8B in Texas and Louisiana 03/05/07 Iowa Winter Storm Damage Tops $65 Million; Governor Seeks Federal Aid 03/02/07 Judge Weighs Miss. Katrina Class Action, State Farm Settlement   S.C. Regulator Opposes Wind Pool Expansion, Offers Suggestions   March in Like a Lion in Alabama; Tornadoes Bring Death, Damage 02/28/07 Four Buildings Evacuated after San Francisco Landslide 02/27/07 Hawaii Reviewing Hurricane Cat Models   Tornadoes Reported in Four States; 27 Injured in Arkansas   Okla. City Man Accused of Falsely Claiming Katrina Funds 02/16/07 President Bush Declares Disaster in Washington for December Storm 02/15/06 La.'s Blanco: Insurance Industry Over-Reacting to 2005 Hurricanes   Allstate Says It Paid Katrina Claims of Type State Farm Denied 02/14/07 Earthquake Rattles Midwest City, Okla. 02/13/07 1st Federal Katrina Insurance Trial Under Way in La.   Fla.'s Older Mobile Homes Vulnerable in Fierce Winds 02/12/07 Fla. Emergency Order Reverses Pre-Tornado Nonrenewals   Minor Earthquake Detected in South Dakota   Vermont Officials Keep Eye on Montpelier Ice Jam for Flood Risk 02/09/07 N.C. Halts Sales By Insurer Accused of Selling Unlicensed Flood Insurance   Agents Welcome Windstorm Debate; Insurers Warn Against Subsidies 02/08/07 Wash.'s Gregoire Seeks Federal Disaster Aid for Jan. Storms   La. Officials Urge Federal Role in Hurricane Insurance   Fla.: Citizens Tornado Claims Payments Top $500,000 02/07/07 FEMA Tripling Calif. San Joaquin River Flood Plain   Southwest Okla. Lawmakers Urge Gov. to Issue Disaster Declaration   U.S. Wants $309M in Katrina Hurricane Aid Returned   Fla. Commissioner Prohibits Cancellation of Tornado Victims' Policies   Fla. Gov. Crist Visits Citizens Catastrophe Response Center; Claims Count Rising 02/06/07 D.C. Man Sentenced for FEMA Hurricane Relief Fraud Scheme 02/05/07 Calif. Governor Seeks to Designate Marin County a Disaster Area   Dallas Man Arrested on FEMA Fraud Charges   Judge Refuses to Dismiss Feds, Corps From La. Flood Suit   Small Earthquake Shakes Western Kentucky   State Farm Won't Renew 2,600 Policies in Alabama Beach Towns   Central Florida Clean Up Continues in Wake of Deadly, Costly Tornados   Severe Weather Brings State of Emergency in 4 Florida Counties   Mo. Disaster Declared for Farmers in 29 Counties   Levees in 27 States at Risk of Failing; Could Trigger Flood Insurance Mandate 02/02/07 Army Corps of Engineers Reports Unacceptable Levees Highest in West 02/01/07 Victims of Calif. Flooding Seek $1 Billion in Lawsuits   Texas Governor Proposes $50 Million Disaster Contingency Fund   Judge Approves Deal Over Katrina-Related Urban Oil Spill in La.   USAA Defends Its Katrina Response Against Comments by Miss. AG Hood   Judge Reduces State Farm's Punitive Damages in Miss. Katrina Case   Okla. Lawmakers Riled Over Delay in Emergency Declaration   Many La. Residents Reluctant to Rebuild on Coast   Study Shows Texas Economy Vulnerable to Cat-Sized Coastal Storm 01/30/07 Eqecat Analysis Predicts Risk for Insured Losses from U.S. Hurricanes Higher 01/29/07 Calif. Farmers and Workers Get Aid after Freeze Destroys Crops   Feds Approve Emergency Loans for Snowbound Colorado Ranchers   Fla. Pols Ready to Lead Lobbying Effort for National Catastrophe Fund   Federal Judge Puts Part of State Farm Katrina Settlement on Hold 01/26/07 Small Quakes Shake Old Faithful Area   Colo. Ranchers Still Struggling to Reach Cattle Stranded By Snow   Building Codes Worked During Hurricane Rita, Study Shows   Miss. AG Hood Turns Up Heat on Insurers to Settle Katrina Disputes   W. Va. Judge Dismisses 400 Flood Claims Against Coal Firms   State Farm Storm Surge Settlement Could Scare Insurers from Mississippi Market 01/25/07 Hurricane Expert Mayfield to Speak at Windstorm Conference   Survey: Commercial Prices Continue Declining in Non-Catastrophe Areas 01/24/07 Rare Snow Storm Surprises Arizona, While Colorado Struck Again   State Farm Settles Miss. Katrina Lawsuits; Agrees to Reopen Other Miss. Claims   More Federal Disaster Aid Offered to Kansas for Storm Damage 01/23/07 Ex-State Farm Adjusters Tell Miss. Grand Jury of Katrina Claims   Conn. AG Files Bill to Block Insurers from Requiring Storm Shutters   Partisan Politics Influenced Katrina Response, Says Former FEMA Chief 01/22/07 Hundreds of Seattle Residents Want City to Pay for Flood Damage   Study: Many California Hospitals Will Not Meet Deadline for Earthquake Safety Measures   Okla. Lawmaker Seeks to Reserve Extra Funds for Storm Relief   State Farm Settles a Miss. Katrina Lawsuit Before Trial   Fla. Mortgage Lenders Unlikely to Back Homes Without Wind Coverage   Kan. Snowstorm Damages Will Exceed $360 Million, Officials Say