Topic
Catastrophes
Earthquake kills 235 in Ecuador
April 17, 2016 Dolores Ochoa And Gonzalo Solano - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPEDERNALES, Ecuador – Rescuers pulled survivors from rubble Sunday after the strongest earthquake to hit Ecuador in decades flattened buildings and buckled highways along its Pacific coast. Officials said the quake had killed at least 235 people and injured 1,557…
Second earthquake in two days in Japan causes landslides
April 17, 2016 Mari Yamaguchi - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSASO, Japan – Thousands of rescue workers searched a debris-strewn village in southern Japan for about a half-dozen missing people Sunday, as the Japanese government said U.S. military aircraft would join the relief mission for communities devastated by two powerful…
Earthquake in southern Japan causes buildings to collapse, kills at least 9
April 15, 2016 Emily Wang - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMASHIKI, Japan — At least nine people have been killed and more than 800 injured by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that toppled houses and buckled roads in southern Japan. With daybreak, the extent of the damage became apparent: collapsed buildings, streets…
Dams collapse from floods in Yemen, at least 16 dead
April 15, 2016 Ahmed Al-Haj - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSSANAA, Yemen — Heavy rainfall in several parts of Yemen has caused widespread flooding that killed at least 16 people and caused the collapse of small dams, including two in Hajja and Omran provinces north of the capital, Sanaa, security officials…
UN Secretary-General urges insurance industry to take leadership role in climate change response
April 14, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe global insurance industry is a key actor in forging new instruments to anticipate and manage climate risks, and must continue to work with the United Nations to manage and reduce such risks, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday.…
Sea level changes, coastal erosion and storm surge flooding key concerns for many parts of Canada: federal government report
April 14, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterSea level changes will vary greatly across Canada this century and beyond, and these changes, together with coastal erosion and storm surge flooding, represent key concerns for many areas, according to a report released earlier this week by Natural Resources…
‘Fair amount of uncertainty’ of financial impact of Canadian earthquakes: OSFI deputy superintendent
April 14, 2016 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorThe financial risk from an earthquake in Quebec is “a lot bigger than maybe people think,” a Munich Re Canada executive suggested Wednesday, while the head of Aon Benfield Canada suggested Canadians on the west coast “may be” underinsured for…
ICLR to host webinars on wildfires and hurricanes in May
April 13, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) will be hosting two Forecast 2016 webinars in May – one on wildfires and the other on hurricanes. The wildfire webinar will be held on May 4 at 11 a.m. EST. It will…
Progress made on wildfires in British Columbia’s Cariboo region
April 13, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterFire crews in British Columbia are continuing their efforts to suppress a wildfire burning three kilometres south of the Nazko community, the province’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations said on Tuesday. As of Tuesday, the Nazko fire…
More than half of all properties in New Orleans removed from special flood hazard areas
April 12, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterDue to significant improvements in drainage and flood protection, more than 53% of all properties in New Orleans were removed from special flood hazard areas and, as a result, will benefit from more affordable flood insurance, the mayor of the…
‘Raging’ fire at Newfoundland fish plant forces evacuation, guts town’s economy
April 11, 2016 Sue Bailey - THE CANADIAN PRESSBAY DE VERDE, N.L. – A small Newfoundland town declared a state of emergency Monday after a massive fire swept through a fish plant, dealing a devastating economic blow that will be felt as far away as Thailand. Gerard Murphy,…
Canadian p&c insurers should prepare for next wave of corporate M&A: Ernst & Young
April 11, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterCanadian property and casualty insurers should “expand risk advisory capabilities” and prepare for the “next wave” of corporate mergers and acquisitions, Ernst & Young LLP suggested in a report released Monday. In its 2016 EY Canadian property and casualty insurance…