Tornadoes Strike Fear Across Missouri

FEMA assistance alone is rarely enough to help a homeowner recover from a disaster, Gaynor said in a speech in Anniston on Wednesday. While the FEMA director’s appearance there was unusual, first responders routinely converge on the center, one of the nation’s top disaster-preparedness training centers. The FEMA director told the administrators they should…

Nationwide Mutual Insurance issued the following news release:. To determine the most popular puppy/* names in each U.S. state, Nationwide sorted through its database of more than 750,000 insured pets. “Luna,” Latin for the word for “moon,” has grown in popularity among pet owners since the publication of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, which featured the…

Dangerous storms in the Midwest produced dozens of tornadoes for the second consecutive day. A tornado demolished a racetrack grandstand and another damaged buildings in a wild animal park in Missouri. St. Louis was under a tornado warning Tuesday evening but the storm passed overhead and the city was mostly spared. Two deaths, both in Missouri, were blamed on the severe weather that started in the Southern Plains Monday night and moved to the northeast.

May 22– May 22– Roads continued to be closed around Reno County on Tuesday because of field runoff, while area creeks and rivers continued to rise. Cow Creek north of Hutchinson, the Arkansas River at Haven, the Little Ark near Sedgwick and the Whitewater River near Towanda were all forecast to reach “major flood” stage this week, according to the National Weather…

May 21– May 21– President Donald Trump has approved a major disaster declaration request by Missouri Gov. The declaration includes Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Carroll, Chariton, Holt, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Platte, Ray and Ste. Genevieve counties. The federal government is also reviewing Parson’s request for FEMA assistance to individual…

May 20– May 20– Roy Wright doesn’t think Congress possesses the “political will” to reform the deeply indebted federal flood insurance program in which many south Louisiana families participate. The former head of the National Flood Insurance Program, who was on the ground in Baton Rouge during the devastating flood of 2016, returned to Louisiana Monday as…

Agency: ” Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.” The FIRM and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of having in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program.

May 19– May 19– PANAMA CITY– Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum and hurling everything in sight. Michael splintered houses and close to 80 percent of the trees at nearby Florida Caverns State Park, but the Dozier School, aside from vegetative damage was largely salvageable. I stayed in a hotel in Fort Walton Beach…

May 19– May 19– Understanding what is and is not covered in your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy is a necessity. Take time now to learn about the risks you may face and build confidence that you are properly protected. Reviewing your insurance coverage annually is an important step to maintain the level of insurance protection necessary to be able to…

PANAMA CITY— U.S. President Donald Trump raised federal cost-sharing to 90 percent for Hurricane Michael recovery spending on Saturday. According to a Saturday press release, Trump’s office informed the Bay County Commission that the president officially approved the increase of how much of the recovery cost the Federal Emergency Management Agency would…

The total statewide savings impact for customers will be approximately $95.9 million. We are very pleased to be able to offer this rate decrease, “said Dan Krause, State Farm Senior Vice-President. The rate decrease is effective May 15 for new business and July 1 for renewals.

Kimbel, 66, and other seniors with similar experiences who contacted the Free Press say they’d like to see lawmakers address the issue as they work on bills aimed at lowering Michigan’s highest-in-the-nation auto insurance premiums. Insurance industry officials say that Kimbel’s experience may be more extreme than most, but that many Michigan motorists…

–Approximately eight in 10 consumers have access to programs that can obscure their driving history, at times masking dangerous behaviors. A new study from TransUnion found these drivers have access to programs that remove or reduce their ticket violations, including DUIs, which may have adverse impacts on both insurers and the insured alike.

The disaster money has proved to be a major flashpoint for Capitol Hill, with Democrats sparring with President Trump over what assistance to Puerto Rico will be included in the bill, which otherwise focuses on flooding, storm damage and wildfires across the continental U.S.. Democrats said the GOP has caved on Puerto Rico and are “moving” to add money for the…

May 13– May 13– The onrush of floodwaters that threatened to swamp South End homeowners translated into a last-minute flurry of inquiries on the potential of writing insurance policies before the damage arrived. Dana Oerman, Shelter Insurance agent at 6412 King Hill Ave., told News-Press NOW she had to inform those seeking to protect their homes just prior to…

VERSAILLES, Ohio– The 2018 farm bill, passed by Congress and signed by President Trump, now awaits implementation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies. Keith Coble, agricultural economist at Mississippi State University, talked about crop insurance at the Farm Bill Summit in Ohio. n Capping subsidy at $40,000.

Early Thursday morning, the state House approved massive changes to Michigan’s auto insurance law that were introduced only late Wednesday. Three Democrats– two from Detroit– joined all Republicans to pass the measure 61-49.. The House action followed similar action in the GOP- controlled Senate on Tuesday, where major auto insurance changes were introduced,…

May 09– May 9– TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE– It appears one of the main wishes on local officials’ list related to President Donald Trump’s visit came true, as Trump announced a 90/ 10 split with the federal government during his campaign rally in Panama City Beach. Greg Brudnicki and Griff Griffits says the governor told them it will be a 90/ 10 split. –Katie Landeck May 8, 2019.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:. -EPA Announces nearly $2.6 Billion in Funding to Improve Water Infrastructure Nationwide. “EPA is delivering on President Trump’s commitment to modernize our nation’s water infrastructure and improve public health and environmental protections,” said EPA Administrator Andrew…

“Today’s action by the Senate creates more problems than it solves. The full Senate quickly followed suit, passing the bill on a 24-14 vote after approving amendments that would prohibit insurance companies from using gender or ZIP codes as factors to determine rates. Adam Hollier and Sylvia Santana, of Detroit, joined all the Republicans to support the bill and…

The White House issued the following proclamation on National Hurricane Preparedness Week:. This September marks the 30th anniversary of Hurricane Hugo, one of the strongest and most costly hurricanes to hit the United States from the Atlantic Ocean. That destructive storm devastated the Caribbean Islands of Guadeloupe, St. Croix, and Puerto Rico before…

May 06– May 6– TALLAHASSEE– Hurricane season in Florida, generally defined as the six months from June 1 through Nov. 30, might easily be considered the most turbulent time of the year. –Portable self-powered radios, including two-way radios or weather-band radios, selling for $50 or less. –AA, AAA, C, D, 6- volt or 9- volt batteries sold for $30 or less.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are seeking documents from the Trump administration as the panel belatedly begins oversight of the “abominable” U.S. response to deadly 2017 hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Democrats say the administration has evaded oversight on the hurricanes because Republicans who controlled Congress refused to perform their constitutional role of executive oversight. Nearly 3,000 people died in Hurricane Maria.

May 05– May 5– BAY COUNTY– The old school house in Callaway near John B. Gore Park, which dates back to 1911 and is a historical site in Bay County, will have to be taken down and rebuilt due to damage from Hurricane Michael. “Structural engineers have deemed it as a total loss,” said Callaway City Manager Eddie Cook. The old school house is one of the historic sites in Bay…

–Business owners in construction-related companies know that falls in the workplace have a ripple effect of difficult impacts. Since many businesses operate with a family culture, an injury to or the death of an employee is a deeply emotional process for the entire operation. “It’s our goal to have families back together at the end of each day,” said Linda Stueber,…

–Between snowstorms and holiday travel, the winter months may seem the most logical time to buy travel insurance, however according to TravelInsurance.com, spring and summer present just as many potential travel issues that travel insurance can help address. Weather. Hurricane season starts June 1; excessive heat makes it harder for planes to both take off and…

April 29– Apr. 29– PANAMA CITY– Months after Hurricane Michael hit Bay County and other parts of the Florida Panhandle, Crystal Fogg is paying $1,195 a month for a three-bedroom, two-bath property in Fountain, which she considers too high. Fogg is one of many Bay County residents who said costs for housing– particularly for renters, who make up a portion of Bay…

HOLON, Israel, April 29, 2019/ PRNewswire/– Sapiens International Corporation,, a global provider of software solutions for the insurance industry, announced today that Folksamgruppen, a mutual insurance company with over four million customers, has selected Sapiens IDITSuite for Property& Casualty as its new digital core solution. The Folksam Group is one of…

The report, issued by Zurich North America, Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance and ISET-International, says climate has visibly changed, sea levels have visibly risen and these trends are likely to continue. “Despite the double hit of Matthew and then Florence, along with an extremely active though not directly damaging to North Carolina hurricane season in…

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis sent a letter to Congressional leadership today requesting immediate action on the passage of a Hurricane Michael relief bill to aid in the recovery efforts for the Florida Panhandle. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected…

April 25– Apr. 25– BAY COUNTY– Workers with aid organization World Renew will be in Bay County to hear from Hurricane Michael survivors what their needs are so they can get help. World Renew workers–also known as The Green Shirts–will be at three locations May 6 through May 17 to talk with Bay County residents. “We can take that information and use it to serve the…

April 25– Apr. 25– A bill aimed at stemming costly lawsuits between repair contractors and property insurers has finally passed both the Florida House and Senate after six years of stalemate and steep rate increases for homeowners. The bill passed the Senate 25-14 on Wednesday and now heads to Gov. Keith Perry, a Republican from Alachua and Putnam County and part…

According to the March 2019 Market Report released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS, which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County, the median closed price of homes decreased 5.6 percent to $340,000 in March 2019 from $360,000 in March 2018. The March 2019 Market Report showed overall closed sales decreased 1.7 percent to 973 in March 2019…

April 24– Apr. 24– TUPELO– A federal declaration will unlock additional funds for select Northeast Mississippi counties recovering from natural disasters. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump formally declared a federal state of disaster in Calhoun, Chickasaw, Clay, Grenada, Lowndes, Pontotoc and Tishomingo counties. Federal disaster status will allow…

April 24– Apr. 24– Connecticut regulators are allowing Eversource Energy to charge customers an extra $141 million over six years to recover money it spent to repair lines after five storms in 2017 and 2018.. Eversource’s historic Connecticut Light& Power operations generated a slight increase in earnings last year, contributing $378 million to the parent…

According to a presentation given this week at the National Hurricane Conference in New Orleans, climate change is expected to intensify storms by about 3 percent, or a few miles per hour, by the year 2100.. Global warming likely added 1 percent to Hurricane Michael’s Cat 5 power, or 1 to 2 mph, said Chris Landsea, tropical analysis forecast branch chief at the…

The Green Party issued the following news release:. As the world greets a new Earth Day in the face of looming climate change, Greens condemn an alarming trend in corporate investment aimed at increasing control and manipulation of resources in response to climate change. This trend is deliberately aimed at increasing short-term gain with blatant disregard…

The fire behind Elliott’s home was started by a neighbor burning yard trash, Florida Forest Service records show. Normally, a fire like that would have taken a few hours to contain, said Jim Karels, director of the Florida Forest Service. With Florida entering its peak wildfire season, fire officials are especially concerned about more fires breaking out in the…

April 22– Apr. 22– California is preparing to pay at least $25 million in insurance and legal claims stemming from a deadly 2016 fire that ignited on state-managed property in Kern County. The state outlined its payments to Erskine Fire victims in a budget appropriations bill that cleared a Senate committee earlier this month. The archery range, Kern River…

TALLAHASSEE- Hurricane Michael was upgraded Friday to a Category 5 storm, a designation that financially strapped local officials pursued to try to increase federal assistance to Northwest Florida. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the National Hurricane Center’s post-storm analysis determined the Oct. 10 storm had an…

FEMA continues to engage reinsurance markets to help strengthen the financial framework of the National Flood Insurance Program and promote private sector participation in flood- risk management. On, April 16, 2019, FEMA entered into a three-year reinsurance agreement, effective April 17, 2019, with Hannover Re Designated Activity Company.

If farmers are delayed or prevented in their spring planting, they have options when it comes to crop insurance, a USDA official says. “It’s generally recognized at this point that conditions are wet for Eastern Washington, maybe most of Washington, maybe most of the Northwest,” said Ben Thiel, director of the USDA Risk Management Agency office in Spokane Valley,…

April 18– Apr. 18– President Donald Trump on Wednesday approved a major disaster declaration for 10 north Alabama counties, making federally funding available for work to repair damage caused by tornadoes, flooding and other disasters. The 10 counties included in the designation were: Cherokee; Colbert; DeKalb; Franklin; Jackson; Lamar; Madison; Marion; Morgan; and…

Hail as large as baseball or softball could drop across parts of North Texas late Wednesday afternoon or evening. “It’s a pretty classic setup for large hail tomorrow,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Hoeth. Forecasters believe it will enter Tarrant County sometime after 4 p.m. The hope is it will be more like 6 or 7 p.m. instead of the peak of rush…

April 15– Apr. 15– PANAMA CITY– Before Hurricane Michael happened, a small piece of legislation went into effect that created a lot of buzz around downtown Panama City. The money in that fund can then be invested into designated opportunity zones, and the perk for them is they can defer the capital gains taxes on the money for up to 10 years and reduce the payment of…

2019 APR 15– By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Mergers& Acquisitions Daily News– Madison, Wisconsin- based American Family Insurance Mutual Holding Company announced it has reached agreement to acquire Ameriprise Auto& Home, a De Pere, Wisconsin- based property-casualty insurance provider that primarily sells its products through a partnership with…

ATLANTIC CITY- Pat and Alonzo Bailey live in a modest, one-story house two blocks from the bay in Bungalow Park. The federal agency is calling it “Risk Rating 2.0”- a way to give “more accurate rates based on unique risk,” according to a three-paragraph description on FEMA’s website. A building’s precise distance from the water and the cost to rebuild a home are among the…

Democrats and Republicans have traded various offers in recent days and weeks, but the negotiations have gotten ensnared in a political dispute over how much money should be given to Puerto Rico to recover from hurricanes in 2017.. “We had a nice, pretty long meeting with the president and discussed some of our thoughts regarding trying to make some overtures to…

—In the winter of 2009, my wife and I found a house that looked like a great place to start our family, a three-bedroom in a hilly subdivision surrounded by dry brush just outside the Redding city limits. I’d seen fire after fire ignite during Shasta County’s blast-furnace summers in the brushy chaparral that dominates the landscape. I stood in that very…

–Texas added more people to its population than any other state in the past year 1 and is projected to see its economy grow by 1-2 percent 2 in 2019. “The population expansion in cities across the state presents an opportunity for more Allstate agency owners to protect and serve the insurance needs of families in Texas communities,” said Tom Caunitz, Allstate…

In the first quarter 2019, the composite rate for personal lines coverage was up 2 percent, according to MarketScout. “The…

MarketScout’s results from in person surveys and mathematical computations have been compiled for the first quarter of 2019. The composite…

CHARLESTON- In June 2016, West Virginia experienced one of the worst flooding disasters in its history. In July 2016, flash flooding resulted in the death of one woman and damage to dozens of homes in and near Huntington. According to a news release from Lora Lipscomb, public information officer with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in…

The Senate and the White House have failed so far at a major obligation. The squabbling last week prevented the Senate from passing disaster aid. The aid package would help our area as well as other parts of the U.S. struck by natural disasters- wildfires in California, an earthquake in Alaska, volcanic eruptions in Hawaii, tornadoes in the Deep South and hurricanes…

Kansans know, many from tragic personal experience, that there is a downside to springtime’s warmer weather. Eyes turn skyward and weather forecasts begin getting more attention as area residents anticipate the arrival of storm season. Now is the right time to give consideration to what you would do if confronted with the aftermath of a Kansas tornado, wind…

April 08– Apr. 8– PANAMA CITY– The okra was the first thing to disappear under the rising waters. For weeks after Hurricane Michael, Donna Wallace had been watching as the pond behind her Washington County home steadily rose, using her garden as a measuring stick. “I felt like Annie Oakley.