Wildfires threaten Turkey's fourth-largest city as locals are evacuated
Overnight fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa in northwest Turkey spread rapidly, bringing a red glow to the night sky over the city's eastern suburbs.
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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Billion-dollar disasters: The economic toll of wildfires, severe storms and earthquakes is soaring
Weather disasters in the first half of this year have cost the United States $93 billion in damage, according to a report released Tuesday by a German multinational insurance company. The analysis by Munich Re, the world's largest reinsurer, found that more than 70% of all damage globally from weather disasters so far this year occurred in the U.S., with uninsured Americans and their local governments experiencing a whopping $22 billion in damage. The report shows the soaring economic toll that wildfires, severe storms and other extreme events are exacting in the U.S. and globally. The findings also highlight the growing insurance crisis playing out in parts of the country that are prone to frequent weather disasters. 'We have seen some 90% of all losses for the insurance industry — so 72 out of 80 billion U.S. dollars — have happened in the U.S.,' said Tobias Grimm, Munich Re's chief climate scientist. 'That's extraordinary.' The devastating wildfires in Southern California in January topped the list of the country's costliest disasters in the first half of 2025. The two largest fires, which killed at least 30 people and displaced thousands more, ripped through the communities in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, fanned by strong Santa Ana winds. Munich Re estimated that the wildfires caused $53 billion in losses, including about $13 billion in damages for residents without insurance. The reinsurer said the Los Angeles-area blazes resulted in the 'highest wildfire losses of all time.' The wildfires' huge economic and societal toll was due in part to increased development in fire-prone areas. 'Losses are on the rise because often properties are in harm's way,' Grimm said. 'People still live in high-risk areas.' Urban development in hazard-prone areas can similarly drive up the cost of other weather-related disasters, such as hurricanes and flooding, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. Studies have shown that climate change is making wildfires more frequent because of warmer temperatures and worsening drought conditions. Blazes are also becoming more intense, as a result. A report released in late January from the World Weather Attribution group found that the hot, dry and windy conditions that helped the fires consume large swaths of Southern California were about 35% more likely because of human-caused global warming. Munich Re's own earnings have been affected by the L.A. wildfires, as was reported by CNBC. Profits were down a total of $1.9 billion for Munich Re and Hannover Re (another German reinsurer), according to their first-quarter earnings reports. Other major disasters in the U.S. so far included severe storms in March that caused $6.7 billion in damage, a series of tornadoes in May that caused about $5 billion in losses, and severe storms and flooding in April that caused $4 billion in damage. Overall, 'severe convective storms' — ones that produce excessive rainfall, strong winds, tornadoes or large hail — caused $34 billion in damage in the U.S. from January through June, according to Munich Re. Of that, $8 billion were uninsured losses, the company found, which included damage to roads and public schools. Outside of the U.S., a tropical cyclone that hit Australia in late February dumped heavy rain over parts of Queensland and New South Wales, causing an estimated $3.5 billion in damage. Internationally, the costliest disaster so far this year wasn't climate-related: A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar in late March. An estimated 4,500 people died after the quake rattled the cities of Sagaing and Mandalay and surrounding areas. And a magnitude-6 earthquake that struck Taiwan in January caused $1.3 billion in losses, according to Munich Re. The insurance company's report comes months after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it would stop tracking the economic toll of the United States' costliest extreme weather events. The elimination of NOAA's 'Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters' yearly reports was seen by critics as yet another way that the Trump administration has cut back or eliminated climate science at federal agencies. A NOAA spokesperson previously told NBC News that the decision to discontinue the database was made 'in alignment with evolving priorities and staffing changes.' Grimm said it's 'vital' to collaborate with NOAA and other government agencies to ensure that these types of reports contain accurate data. The resulting analyses can, for instance, be used by insurance companies and government officials to shape policies, and they are particularly important as billion-dollar disasters become more frequent. 'The probability of extreme weather is changing,' Grimm said, 'so we need to adapt and, of course, to mitigate future losses.' This article was originally published on
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Intense rain creates a waterfall in Hong Kong
STORY: :: Intense rain in Hong Kong creates a waterfall and triggers flooding in multiple areas :: July 29, 2025 :: A black rainstorm alert was issued, before being downgraded to red two hours later In an eastern residential area of Hong Kong Island, the torrential rain created a flash waterfall on a hillside, with water continuously cascading down the slopes. The black rainstorm warning was issued at 9:10 a.m. (0110 GMT), before being downgraded to red at 11:05 a.m. (0305 GMT) and later to amber at 11:45 a.m. (0345 GMT). The black rainstorm warning indicates that rainfall exceeding 2.75 inch (70 mm) per hour has been recorded or is expected in widespread areas of Hong Kong, with the heavy rain likely to persist. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
5 hours ago
- CBS News
Natural disasters have caused more than $131 billion in losses so far in 2025
The Los Angeles wildfires and severe spring thunderstorms are just a few of the natural disasters that have contributed to more than $131 billion in global losses for the first half of 2025, according to a new report from the insurance company Munich Re. Overall losses so far in 2025 were slightly lower than the same time period in 2024, but still above long-term averages. By this time last year, overall losses were slightly higher at $155 billion, adjusted for inflation. The first half of 2024 included an earthquake in Japan on New Year's Day, coupled with severe thunderstorms in the United States that spawned more than 1,250 tornadoes. Of the $131 billion in overall losses for 2025, $80 billion was insured, which is the second-highest amount for the first half of any year since recordkeeping began in 1980. The first half of 2011 is the only year where insured losses have been higher, due to a severe earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The L.A. wildfires have been the costliest natural disaster this year and are estimated to have caused $53 billion in overall losses, with $40 billion insured. Climate change played a role in the wildfires by increasing the fire weather index conditions, making them more intense and destructive, according to scientists. "We need to face it that the losses have been on the rise and make it clear that climate change plays an ever increasing role," said Tobias Grimm, chief climate scientist at Munich Re. As more people move into high-risk climate areas and weather events grow more extreme due to climate change, the damages will likely keep climbing, Grimm said. Another major global disaster in 2025 was the March 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar that killed an estimated 4,500 people and caused $12 billion in losses, very little of which was insured. Weather disasters like wildfires and storms have caused 88% of overall losses and 98% of insured losses, according to Munich Re. Earthquakes accounted for 12% of overall losses and 2% of insured losses in 2025 so far. In seven out of the last eight years, the industry has seen more than $100 billion in insured losses, Grimm said. "Usually the second half of the year is more costly," he said, due to the bulk of the hurricane season starting in August and concluding in November. With hurricanes and wildfires being the costliest disasters on-record, the need to adapt and mitigate these climate impacts is necessary to address rising insurance costs, according to Grimm and other company experts. "The best way to avoid losses is to implement effective preventive measures, such as more robust construction for buildings and infrastructure to better withstand natural disasters," Thomas Blunck, a member of the Board of Management of Munich Re, said in a statement. "Such precautions can help to maintain reasonable insurance premiums, even in high-risk areas. And most importantly: to reduce future exposure, new building development should not be allowed in high-risk areas."
