The payouts from reinsurance hit the company’s bottom line after fires damaged several settlements and killed dozens in the US’s most populous state. It also faces challenges from difficult markets. “ ...

Santa Cruz County Prepares For Worst As Big Storm Approaches  CBS San Francisco

With the next storm bearing down on the Northern California, crews are racing to shore up the hillsides in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Winter Storm Damage Keeping Tree Service Crews Busy  CBS Pittsburgh

Downed branches and trees caused by Thursday night's winter storms kept tree *service* crews busy throughout the area Friday.

Ice storm damage, Mercer County  WVVA TV

Many residents and commuters felt the impact of Thursday's ice storm. Drivers across the State were warned to watch out for the ice on all roads. But.

Election day storm damage in Knoxville  Knoxville News Sentinel

The early morning storm Nov. 6 left at least two roads blocked by toppled trees in North Hills. This dead tree fell across Haggard Road and tore down wires, ...

Storm damage in the Tennessee Valley  WAFF

Two tornadoes touched down in Lauderdale and Jackson Counties.

VID | Major storm damage in Mt. Airy; town reports tornado  Fox Baltimore

MT. AIRY, Md. (WBFF) - Multiple businesses were seen damaged in Mt. Airy as severe storms came through Friday evening. The Town of Mount Airy said on ...

It was less than one month ago when Hurricane Florence struck North and South Carolina. State Farm was the first and only insurance company to receive an FAA waiver allowing Claims pilots to operate drones beyond visual line of sight and over people for damage assessment. Drone flights were coordinated with the FAA and Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) at Virginia Tech as part of the Integration Pilot Program for large-scale damage assessment in Virginia and South Carolina.

 County Name   Policies In-Force  HAWAII COUNTY    4,559  HONOLULU COUNTY    38,457  KAUAI COUNTY    5,236  MAUI COUNTY      12,159  Total    60,411          

USAA received 8,000 claims for damage to homes and vehicles Tuesday, twice as many as from the June 13 hailstorm that hit Fountain, the insurance and financial services giant reported. Other top insurers, including State Farm, Farmers and Progressive, didn’t have claims numbers or didn’t return calls.

Colorado State University hurricane researchers have decreased their forecast from their early April prediction and now call for a near-average Atlantic hurricane season. The primary reason for this decrease is anomalous cooling in the tropical Atlantic. The weak La Niña that occurred this past winter has dissipated, and there is the potential that a weak El Niño could develop by the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season (August-October). However, the forecast team believes that neutral ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) conditions are the most likely scenario for this year’s season. El Niño tends to increase upper-level westerly winds across the Caribbean into the tropical Atlantic, tearing apart...

It's nearly July, but this Canadian city just woke up to snow  Washington PostIt's Almost July and Snow Is Falling in Newfoundland, Canada  The Weather ChannelJune snow storm hits Newfoundland  Fox5NYFull coverage

We anticipate that the 2018 Atlantic basin hurricane season will have slightly above average activity. The current weak La Niña event appears likely to transition to neutral ENSO over the next several months, but at this point, we do not anticipate a significant El Niño event this summer/fall. The western tropical Atlantic is anomalously warm right now, while portions of the eastern tropical Atlantic and far North Atlantic are anomalously cool. Consequently, our Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation index is near its long-term average. We anticipate a slightly above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean. As is the case with all hurricane...

A new study has found that the current system of licensing regulations for independent claims adjusters is causing more harm than help for the industry. The study, entitled “Breaking Down Barriers” by Pacific Research Institute, found that the average claims adjuster holds between 10 and 12 different state licenses. This can set them back as much as $1,000 each. The study pointed out that these “costly, burdensome state requirements” make it more difficult for adjusters to operate across states, while driving up costs for consumers and limiting the opportunities for new adjusters. At present, 34 states require independent adjusters to hold a license, the Association of Claims Professionals (ACP)...

...

"According to the funding website, the Converge software takes the benefits of AI-powered obstacle-avoiding, flight stabilizing technology and puts it into a smartphone app – essentially allowing in-house operators like insurance adjusters to be able to fly well enough to get consistent data without as much flight experience and practice with a joystick.  The integrated suite also includes airspace intelligence and customer reporting."

Source: DRONELIFE.com

DEEP Hazmat Crews on Scene at Oil Spill in Waterbury  NBC Connecticut Industrial Oil Spilled Into Naugatuck River  Waterbury Observer Full coverage

Residents dealing with Irma aftermath brace for round of storms  NBC2 NewsExperts warn homeowners to prep for first severe weather threat since Irma  WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlandoFull coverage

Winter storm warning issued for parts of Massachusetts ahead of weekend snow  Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7NewsA heavy, wet snowstorm is headed toward New England  Boston.comFull coverage