Tag: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Crop insurance comes under fire in the midst of U.S. drought

Nordstrom
US drought 2012

Drought highlights the controversy surrounding crop insurance The worst drought in 60 years has established a stranglehold in the U.S. The severity and persistence of the disaster is threatening to cause widespread food shortage as the country’s corn and soybean crops begin to suffer. The onset of the drought has brought attention to the country’s crop insurance program. The program was initially formed as a way to provide farmers with the protection they needed but has been subjected to several changes throughout its existence. Now, concerns are rising over the…

Read More

Tropical Storm Alberto puts insurers on alert ahead of hurricane season

Marc
Hurricane Season 2012 - Tropical Storm Alberto

Tropical storm forms ahead of official start to hurricane season Hurricane season in the U.S. does not officially begin until June 1, but the season’s first tropical storm has formed off the coast of South Carolina. The storm was reported by the National Hurricane Center in Florida, which noted that the storm boasts of 50mph winds with more powerful gusts at the time it had formed. Though the storm was not expected to gain any strength during its lifespan, it did raise concerns within the insurance industry, which has been…

Read More

U.S. to be a “weather-ready” nation as the federal government takes measures to guard against destructive weather

To date, the cost of natural disasters befalling the U.S. has reached $35 billion. The year is not yet over and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts several turbulent storms crowding the horizon. While there can be no guarantee whether these storms will actually come to pass, the federal government is not willing to suffer more losses at the hands of nature. NOAA, along with the National Weather Service, is now tasked with making the nation “weather-ready.” The initiative aims to provide protection to communities throughout the nation…

Read More

NOAA updates hurricane season forecast, still calls for an active season

Marc

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has updated their forecast of this year’s hurricane season. The original outlook was issued in May in which the agency noted that the current season would be more active than usual. Several major storms have already formed in the Atlantic Ocean, with some making landfall in Florida and Texas. None have cause any major damage, thus far, but that may change during this month as NOAA predicts as many as five category 3 hurricanes to form offshore. According to Gerry Bell, Ph.D., the…

Read More

Property insurance rates in Mississippi even out but insurers still wary

The Mississippi Insurance Commissioner, Mike Chaney, is reporting that property insurance rates in the state are leveling off. Chaney spoke Tuesday at a luncheon hosted by the Gulf Coast Business Club. Predictions of an unusually active hurricane season earlier this year from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spurred a sharp rise in insurance rates in Mississippi and neighboring states. The momentum seems to have died out, however, a trend that Chaney believes is due to models that suggest many storms will be diverted to Texas or up the East…

Read More